20111030027919I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Lindstrand Balloons 105A · Taos, NM · October 30, 2011

Date: October 30, 2011 · 09:30 local
Place: Taos, NM
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N371LB
Reported as: Lindstrand Balloons 105A
Reported engine: NONE NONE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 60 total20 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N371LBRegistration cancelled Sep 3, 2022 · Lindstrand Balloons 105AS/N 5008 · Built 1996 Airframe modelLindstrand Balloons 105A 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.

On October 30, 2011 at 0930 MDT, N371LB, a Lindstrand Balloons, 105A lighter than air-free balloon (lta-fb) registered to m & c leasing, inc., while tethered to its support vehicle, launched with a rapid rate of climb. After several seconds, the student pilot pulled the parachute top out of the envelope causing it to deflate and the aircraft to make an uncontrolled accelerating descent to a hard landing. The student pilot was not injured. Burn holes were made in five panels of the envelope as it collapsed onto the gondola and the burners. None of the load tapes or kevlar lines was damaged.

As the FAA filed it

ON OCTOBER 30, 2011 AT 0930 MDT, N371LB, A LINDSTRAND BALLOONS, 105A LIGHTER THAN AIR-FREE BALLOON (LTA-FB) REGISTERED TO M & C LEASING, INC., WHILE TETHERED TO ITS SUPPORT VEHICLE, LAUNCHED WITH A RAPID RATE OF CLIMB. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS, THE STUDENT PILOT PULLED THE PARACHUTE TOP OUT OF THE ENVELOPE CAUSING IT TO DEFLATE AND THE AIRCRAFT TO MAKE AN UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATING DESCENT TO A HARD LANDING. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. BURN HOLES WERE MADE IN FIVE PANELS OF THE ENVELOPE AS IT COLLAPSED ONTO THE GONDOLA AND THE BURNERS. NONE OF THE LOAD TAPES OR KEVLAR LINES WAS DAMAGED.