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20080731843239A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Head AX9 118 · Cook, MN · July 31, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 31, 2008 · 08:20 local
Place
Cook, MN
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N3106K
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI08CA227
Reported as
Head AX9118
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
13,000 total800 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days
N3106KRegistration cancelled Sep 10, 2012 · Head Balloons AX9 118S/N 292Airframe modelHead Balloons AX9 118

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 July 31, 2008 at approximately 07:30 a.m., privacy data omitted (pilot) departed his home in a hot air balloon with himself and 2 passengers. His home is on center island on lake vermilion in northern Minnesota. The flight was over water in a nne direction. At about 08:15 he landed on a peninsula mostly covered with trees, as are most the surrounding areas. The landing was in a very small road clearing, approximately 65 feet wide. The pilot was committed to the landing when power lines were noted in the middle of the clearing, landing was completed. While landing, the balloon settled onto the two power lines causing them to touch and spark, starting the balloon on fire. The pilot and passengers got clear and no one was injured. The chase crew showed up and with the help of local residences everything was loaded into a truck except for the unburned portion of the balloon hanging on the wires, the sheriff and two deputy's arrived as the crew was leaving. The deputy's had hasked to see the pilot's license, privacy data omitted stated he did not have it on him.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JULY 31, 2008 AT APPROXIMATELY 07:30 A.M., ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (PILOT) DEPARTED HIS HOME IN A HOT AIR BALLOON WITH HIMSELF AND 2 PASSENGERS. HIS HOME IS ON CENTER ISLAND ON LAKE VERMILION IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA. THE FLIGHT WAS OVER WATER IN A NNE DIRECTION. AT ABOUT 08:15 HE LANDED ON A PENINSULA MOSTLY COVERED WITH TREES, AS ARE MOST THE SURROUNDING AREAS. THE LANDING WAS IN A VERY SMALL ROAD CLEARING, APPROXIMATELY 65 FEET WIDE. THE PILOT WAS COMMITTED TO THE LANDING WHEN POWER LINES WERE NOTED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CLEARING, LANDING WAS COMPLETED. WHILE LANDING, THE BALLOON SETTLED ONTO THE TWO POWER LINES CAUSING THEM TO TOUCH AND SPARK, STARTING THE BALLOON ON FIRE. THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS GOT CLEAR AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE CHASE CREW SHOWED UP AND WITH THE HELP OF LOCAL RESIDENCES EVERYTHING WAS LOADED INTO A TRUCK EXCEPT FOR THE UNBURNED PORTION OF THE BALLOON HANGING ON THE WIRES, THE SHERIFF AND TWO DEPUTY'S ARRIVED AS THE CREW WAS LEAVING. THE DEPUTY'S HAD HASKED TO SEE THE PILOT'S LICENSE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE DID NOT HAVE IT ON HIM.

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 CHI08CA227Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportCook, MNThe pilot's decision to land in a confined area. Contributing to the accident were the hidden power transmission lines and the confined landing site.Jul 31, 2008 · Destroyed