20110618011429A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Head Balloons AX8-88 · Summerdale, AL · June 18, 2011

Date: June 18, 2011 · 08:30 local
Place: Summerdale, AL
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N8190V
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA11CA353
Reported as: Head Balloons AX8-88
Reported engine: N/A N/A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 139 total139 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N8190VRegistration cancelled Jun 5, 2013 · Head Balloons AX8-88S/N 208 Airframe modelHead Balloons AX8-88

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.

The pilot stated that as he was approaching a field to land, a gust of wind caused his basket to get caught in the tops of some trees. As he became caught in the trees, he stated that a branch from one of the trees snagged the deflation line of the balloon causing the envelope to lose air and descend. He then stated the skirt of the envelope caught on fire. The pilot managed to exit out of the basket along with the passenger. They both exited the basket after it had reached the ground. Both pilot and passenger were uninjured.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT STATED THAT AS HE WAS APPROACHING A FIELD TO LAND, A GUST OF WIND CAUSED HIS BASKET TO GET CAUGHT IN THE TOPS OF SOME TREES. AS HE BECAME CAUGHT IN THE TREES, HE STATED THAT A BRANCH FROM ONE OF THE TREES SNAGGED THE DEFLATION LINE OF THE BALLOON CAUSING THE ENVELOPE TO LOSE AIR AND DESCEND. HE THEN STATED THE SKIRT OF THE ENVELOPE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE PILOT MANAGED TO EXIT OUT OF THE BASKET ALONG WITH THE PASSENGER. THEY BOTH EXITED THE BASKET AFTER IT HAD REACHED THE GROUND. BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED.

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 ERA11CA353Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportSummerdale, ALThe balloon pilot's failure to maintain proper altitude/clearance from a tree line during the landing approach.Jun 18, 2011 · Substantial damage