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20071008828069A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Raven S-66A · Albuquerque, NM · October 8, 2007

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 8, 2007 · 07:42 local
Place
Albuquerque, NM
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7179Z
NTSB investigation
NTSBDEN08LA004
Reported as
Raven S66A
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N7179ZRegistration cancelled Feb 28, 2017 · Aerostar International S-66AS/N S66A-3060 · Built 1996Airframe modelAerostar International S-66AEngine modelNONENone

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On October 8, 2007, at approximately 0742 MDT, an Aerostar S-66A, N7179Z, piloted by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged when it struck the top wire of a 3-phase powerline. The wire cut through the wicker gondola and became entangled with the handle on one of the fuel tanks. The pilot lowered a drop line to ground personnel who attempted unsuccessfully to free the balloon. They then attached it to the hitch of a pickup truck. The combined force of the truck and balloon lift, pulled the fuel tank through the wicker gondola creating a large hole. Now free from the wire, the balloon ascended abruptly breaking the drop line at which time one female passenger went out through the hole in the basket to her death. The pilot looked up into the envelope of the balloon and noticed that the "deflation port" had partially opened up. Since the "deflation port" cannot be closed once airborne, the pilot operated the burner almost continuously trying to control the descent. The balloon made a hard landing causing serious injuries to two more passengers.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON OCTOBER 8, 2007, AT APPROXIMATELY 0742 MDT, AN AEROSTAR S-66A, N7179Z, PILOTED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT STRUCK THE TOP WIRE OF A 3-PHASE POWERLINE. THE WIRE CUT THROUGH THE WICKER GONDOLA AND BECAME ENTANGLED WITH THE HANDLE ON ONE OF THE FUEL TANKS. THE PILOT LOWERED A DROP LINE TO GROUND PERSONNEL WHO ATTEMPTED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO FREE THE BALLOON. THEY THEN ATTACHED IT TO THE HITCH OF A PICKUP TRUCK. THE COMBINED FORCE OF THE TRUCK AND BALLOON LIFT, PULLED THE FUEL TANK THROUGH THE WICKER GONDOLA CREATING A LARGE HOLE. NOW FREE FROM THE WIRE, THE BALLOON ASCENDED ABRUPTLY BREAKING THE DROP LINE AT WHICH TIME ONE FEMALE PASSENGER WENT OUT THROUGH THE HOLE IN THE BASKET TO HER DEATH. THE PILOT LOOKED UP INTO THE ENVELOPE OF THE BALLOON AND NOTICED THAT THE "DEFLATION PORT" HAD PARTIALLY OPENED UP. SINCE THE "DEFLATION PORT" CANNOT BE CLOSED ONCE AIRBORNE, THE PILOT OPERATED THE BURNER ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY TRYING TO CONTROL THE DESCENT. THE BALLOON MADE A HARD LANDING CAUSING SERIOUS INJURIES TO TWO MORE PASSENGERS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB DEN08LA004Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportAlbuquerque, NMThe pilot's failure to maintain adequate visual lookout and clearance resulting in an in-flight collision with power lines, and the ground crew's improper assistance. Contributing to this accident were the high wind, the pilot's diverted attention, low…Oct 8, 2007 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7179Z · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20030517009649ADescent · Albuquerque, NM(-23) On may 17, 2003, at 0800 MDT, a Aerostar international, S-66A, N7179Z, registered to skyspan adventures LLC, landed hard with a basket tip-over when the basket was drug by surface winds into a dirt berm during a street landing in the intersection of…May 17, 2003