20090726014239I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Avianw MAGNUM IX · Sedona, AZ · July 26, 2009

Date: July 26, 2009 · 07:30 local
Place: Sedona, AZ
Phase of flight: Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N2023B
Reported as: Avianw Magnumix
People aboard: 7
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 546 total225 in this make and model70 in the last 90 days

N2023BRegistered now · Avian Balloon MAGNUM IXS/N 198 Airframe modelAvian Balloon MAGNUM IX Engine 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) During the flight on Sunday July 26th, the pilot made a controlled decent landing into a wooded area on the west edge of dry creek canyon. After a soft touchdown, while the pilot was safely unloading passengers, the gondola slowly slid down into a dead tree. Branches came through the lower region of the envelope (throat). All passengers were unloaded safely and the aircraft was deflated over another dead tree. Additional damage was caused on retrieval and pack up with the repairs being quoted at $3500-$4000.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING THE FLIGHT ON SUNDAY JULY 26TH, THE PILOT MADE A CONTROLLED DECENT LANDING INTO A WOODED AREA ON THE WEST EDGE OF DRY CREEK CANYON. AFTER A SOFT TOUCHDOWN, WHILE THE PILOT WAS SAFELY UNLOADING PASSENGERS, THE GONDOLA SLOWLY SLID DOWN INTO A DEAD TREE. BRANCHES CAME THROUGH THE LOWER REGION OF THE ENVELOPE (THROAT). ALL PASSENGERS WERE UNLOADED SAFELY AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEFLATED OVER ANOTHER DEAD TREE. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WAS CAUSED ON RETRIEVAL AND PACK UP WITH THE REPAIRS BEING QUOTED AT $3500-$4000.