What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On September 7, 2008, at or about 1836 eastern daylight savings time, a lindstrand balloon usa model 150A hot air balloon, N844LB, s/n 5283, operated by air ventures balloon rides, inc., was destroyed when it impacted terrain and erupted in flames in an open field on the property of privacy data omitted. A commercial pilot/flight instructor and seven passengers were onboard the balloon at the time of the accident the pilot perished, and all seven passengers were able to egress from the basket. All seven passengers were sent to local hospitals with varying degrees of burns. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR part 91 for the purpose of sightseeing. Visual meteorological condition prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight originated at about 1800 eastern daylight savings time from a lot located at 900 pottstown pike, west vincent township, chester springs, PA 19425, a location about 5 miles from the accident site. According to eyewitness and passenger information, the pilot landed earlier than intended due to either the balloon coming close to the proximity of the city of Phoenixville, or due to changing winds. Upon descent into the open field, the balloon brushed the top of trees, and when it made the initial impact with the ground, it hit “hard”, bounced, skipped or was dragged, ascended 5 to 6 feet in the air, stopped in an upright position, rotated, returned to an upright position, and then rotated on its left side. The basket erupted in flames during this sequence. The passengers reported hearing the burners operate loudly and continuously immediately after the “hard” landing, and felt and saw the flames coming from the basket. During the on-site and subsequent investigation, a 10 gallon aluminum tank cylinder was found located between two 20 gallon stainless steel cylinders, and it was connected to the left (forward) 20 gallon stainless steel tank with a fuel manifold assy. The aluminum cylinder was half destroyed by fire (melted). Attached to the female hose end fitting of this manifold assembly was an adapter, and a fitting piece part was broken on this adapter approximately ¾ of the diameter. The left (forward) stainless steel tank was found with a quarter turn fuel shut-off valve partially closed. The fuel hose attached to this tank was found connected to the remains of the lindstrand squeeze trigger main valve double burner valve block. The right (rear) stainless steel tank was found with the quarter turn valve shut-off in the open position, with the fuel hose found disconnected at the double burner valve block assembly on the right side. The threads on the end of this hose were intact. This right side of the burner valve assembly was found almost completely melted and destroyed, as opposed to the left side in which the burner hose was still connected, and the burner valve block was half melted. A gate-type shut-off valve was installed on the center aluminum tank, but the position could not be determined due to fire damage. Based on the preliminary information gathered for this investigation, records for traceability and inspection for the 10 gallon aluminum tank and the manifold/adapter assembly that connected to the valve for this tank could not be located. The valve fitting and adapter assembly, in addition to the double burner valve block assembly, are being examined by the NTSB lab. Identification of the center cylinder continues to be investigated. AEA-FSDO-17 is working with the VA NTSB office to develop further facts to the investigation.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2008, AT OR ABOUT 1836 EASTERN DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME, A LINDSTRAND BALLOON USA MODEL 150A HOT AIR BALLOON, N844LB, S/N 5283, OPERATED BY AIR VENTURES BALLOON RIDES, INC., WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN AND ERUPTED IN FLAMES IN AN OPEN FIELD ON THE PROPERTY OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. A COMMERCIAL PILOT/FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND SEVEN PASSENGERS WERE ONBOARD THE BALLOON AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT PERISHED, AND ALL SEVEN PASSENGERS WERE ABLE TO EGRESS FROM THE BASKET. ALL SEVEN PASSENGERS WERE SENT TO LOCAL HOSPITALS WITH VARYING DEGREES OF BURNS. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 FOR THE PURPOSE OF SIGHTSEEING. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITION PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT ABOUT 1800 EASTERN DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME FROM A LOT LOCATED AT 900 POTTSTOWN PIKE, WEST VINCENT TOWNSHIP, CHESTER SPRINGS, PA 19425, A LOCATION ABOUT 5 MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE. ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESS AND PASSENGER INFORMATION, THE PILOT LANDED EARLIER THAN INTENDED DUE TO EITHER THE BALLOON COMING CLOSE TO THE PROXIMITY OF THE CITY OF PHOENIXVILLE, OR DUE TO CHANGING WINDS. UPON DESCENT INTO THE OPEN FIELD, THE BALLOON BRUSHED THE TOP OF TREES, AND WHEN IT MADE THE INITIAL IMPACT WITH THE GROUND, IT HIT “HARD”, BOUNCED, SKIPPED OR WAS DRAGGED, ASCENDED 5 TO 6 FEET IN THE AIR, STOPPED IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION, ROTATED, RETURNED TO AN UPRIGHT POSITION, AND THEN ROTATED ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE BASKET ERUPTED IN FLAMES DURING THIS SEQUENCE. THE PASSENGERS REPORTED HEARING THE BURNERS OPERATE LOUDLY AND CONTINUOUSLY IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE “HARD” LANDING, AND FELT AND SAW THE FLAMES COMING FROM THE BASKET.DURING THE ON-SITE AND SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION, A 10 GALLON ALUMINUM TANK CYLINDER WAS FOUND LOCATED BETWEEN TWO 20 GALLON STAINLESS STEEL CYLINDERS, AND IT WAS CONNECTED TO THE LEFT (FORWARD) 20 GALLON STAINLESS STEEL TANK WITH A FUEL MANIFOLD ASSY. THE ALUMINUM CYLINDER WAS HALF DESTROYED BY FIRE (MELTED). ATTACHED TO THE FEMALE HOSE END FITTING OF THIS MANIFOLD ASSEMBLY WAS AN ADAPTER, AND A FITTING PIECE PART WAS BROKEN ON THIS ADAPTER APPROXIMATELY ¾ OF THE DIAMETER. THE LEFT (FORWARD) STAINLESS STEEL TANK WAS FOUND WITH A QUARTER TURN FUEL SHUT-OFF VALVE PARTIALLY CLOSED. THE FUEL HOSE ATTACHED TO THIS TANK WAS FOUND CONNECTED TO THE REMAINS OF THE LINDSTRAND SQUEEZE TRIGGER MAIN VALVE DOUBLE BURNER VALVE BLOCK. THE RIGHT (REAR) STAINLESS STEEL TANK WAS FOUND WITH THE QUARTER TURN VALVE SHUT-OFF IN THE OPEN POSITION, WITH THE FUEL HOSE FOUND DISCONNECTED AT THE DOUBLE BURNER VALVE BLOCK ASSEMBLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE THREADS ON THE END OF THIS HOSE WERE INTACT. THIS RIGHT SIDE OF THE BURNER VALVE ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND ALMOST COMPLETELY MELTED AND DESTROYED, AS OPPOSED TO THE LEFT SIDE IN WHICH THE BURNER HOSE WAS STILL CONNECTED, AND THE BURNER VALVE BLOCK WAS HALF MELTED. A GATE-TYPE SHUT-OFF VALVE WAS INSTALLED ON THE CENTER ALUMINUM TANK, BUT THE POSITION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED DUE TO FIRE DAMAGE. BASED ON THE PRELIMINARY INFORMATION GATHERED FOR THIS INVESTIGATION, RECORDS FOR TRACEABILITY AND INSPECTION FOR THE 10 GALLON ALUMINUM TANK AND THE MANIFOLD/ADAPTER ASSEMBLY THAT CONNECTED TO THE VALVE FOR THIS TANK COULD NOT BE LOCATED. THE VALVE FITTING AND ADAPTER ASSEMBLY, IN ADDITION TO THE DOUBLE BURNER VALVE BLOCK ASSEMBLY, ARE BEING EXAMINED BY THE NTSB LAB. IDENTIFICATION OF THE CENTER CYLINDER CONTINUES TO BE INVESTIGATED. AEA-FSDO-17 IS WORKING WITH THE VA NTSB OFFICE TO DEVELOP FURTHER FACTS TO THE INVESTIGATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.