# Accident 20080831855489A: Camron ZL60, Anderson, SC, August 31, 2008

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 31, 2008, 08:25 local time
- Place: Anderson, SC
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.4944° N, 82.7092° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4944&lon=-82.7092&mi=10
- Aircraft: N61ZL, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N61ZL-2017-07-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cameron Balloons ZL-60 (registry code 1880339, https://openairdocs.org/model/cameron-balloons-zl-60) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CAMRON ZL60
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 680 total, 38 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA08CA176](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA08CA176) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080831855489A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) AIRMAN CRASHED HIS BALLOON WHILE COMPETING IN BALLOON FEDERATION OF AMERICA RACE.  PILOT SUSTAINED MAJOR INJURIES AND ADMITTED TO THE ANDERSON, SC HOSPITAL.  THE BALLOON SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.  THE AIRMAN GOT CONFUSED AT ABOUT 8000' MSL AND COULD NOT DETERMINE IF HE WAS ASCENDING OR DESCENDING SO HE INCREASED THE BLAST VALVE IN EXCESS AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE PARACHUTE VALVE AT THE TOP OF THE ENVELOPE WHICH INTERN RELEASED ALL THE HOT AIR FROM THE BALLOON AND IT DESCENDED NOW FROM 13,558' MSL TO THE GROUND AND IMPACTED A TREE AND THROWING THE PILOT OUT TO THE GROUND 12' BELOW.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB MIA08CA176](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA08CA176), Aug 31, 2008: Cameron ZL-60 (N61ZL), Anderson, SC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper use of the balloon burners.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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