# Incident 20110530019309I: Aerostar International Inc RXS-8, Sugar Grove, PA, May 30, 2011

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 30, 2011, 21:00 local time
- Place: Sugar Grove, PA
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.9837° N, 79.3396° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Sugar Grove, PA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.9837&lon=-79.3396&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5019V, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5019V) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerostar International RXS-8 (registry code 7487009, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerostar-international-rxs-8) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL INC RXS-8
- Reported engine: NONE NONE
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110530019309I

## Narrative

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

DAILY REPORT APPLICATION 5/30/2011, AS STATED; DESCRIPTION OF EVENT:  SUGAR GROVE PA, N5019V AN RXS-8 HOT AIR BALLOON, EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING INTO A TREE IN A FARM AREA AFTER RUNNING OUT OF FUEL.  LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONDED AND ASSISTED LOWERING THE BALLOON AND BASKET TO THE GROUND.THE ACTUAL EVENTS AS REPORTED BY THE LOCAL FIRE COMPANY, (SUGAR GROVE PA VFD) AND BY THE PILOT IS THAT THE FIRE COMPANY NOTICED THE A/C LANDING AND RESPONDED WHILE DRIVING FROM A PREVIOUS FIRE CALL.  THEY WITNESSED THE APPROACH AND ASSISTED THE BALLOON GROUND CREW.  THE VFD AND THE BALLOON PILOT BOTH STATE THAT THE BALLOON WAS NOT IN THE TREE (AND WAS NEVER IN THE TREE) AND THEREFORE THERE WAS NO NEED FOR THE VFD TO ASSIST GETTING THE BALLOON DOWN FROM THE TREE.  ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, A FEW ATTEMPTS WERE MADE AT OTHER LANDING SITES IN THE AREA BUT WERE ABORTED DUE TO CONDITION OF THE FIELD DUE TO RECENT RAINS.  DURING THE LANDING THE ENVELOPE CONTACTED TREE FOLIAGE, BUT  THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO BALLOON BASKET OR ENVELOP AND NONE TO PROPERTY.  THE AIRCRAFT HAD TWO FUEL TANKS ONBOARD, ONE OF 15 GALLON AND ANOTHER OF 18 GALLON.  AT THE TIME OF THIS EVENT, THE REMAINING FUEL WAS 10% AND 20% RESPECTFULLY.  THE ELAPSED TIME FOR THIS FLIGHT WAS APPROXIMATELY 1:25.  WITH TWO PASSENGERS ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT WAS WITHIN ITS OPERATING PARAMETERS.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH ALL REQUIRED SAFETY AND OPERATIONAL EQUIPMENT REQUIRED OF AN OPERATOR OF THIS TYPE.  THE BALLOON WAS RECOVERED BY THE GROUND CREW AND DEPARTED.        06/02/2011 CONTACTED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, FOR STATEMENT.06/02/2011 CONTACTED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, ROC FSDO FOR ASSISTANCE.  06/27/2011 DOWN GRADED THIS EVENT TO AN OCCURRENCE DUE TO FACTS OF EVENT.  INITIAL OPERATION CENTER REPORTED INFORMATION WAS NOT ACCURATE TO EVENT.06/28/2011 SPOKE WITH BILL VOSS TO REMOVE ATQA 8020-23, A-EA-03-11-01606/29/2011 RECEIVED A WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

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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