# Incident 20120121000719I: Zing Aerosports ZA-PIG-90, Carefree, AZ, January 21, 2012

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 21, 2012, 18:12 local time
- Place: Carefree, AZ
- Airport: Skyranch
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.8232° N, 111.9133° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Carefree, AZ, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.8232&lon=-111.9133&mi=10
- Aircraft: N998SP, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N998SP) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Zing Aerosports ZA-PIG-90 (registry code 05630YQ, https://openairdocs.org/model/zing-aerosports-za-pig-90) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ZING AEROSPORTS ZA-PIG-90
- Reported engine: N/A N/A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 2,850 total, 30 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120121000719I

## Narrative

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

DURING A BALLOON STATIC DISPLAY EVENT WHEN THE BALLOON WAS BEING INFLATED, SHORTLY AFTER THE OPERATOR SWITCHED FROM THE BLOWER TO THE BURNER, A GUST OF WIND CAME UP AND  PUSHED THE BALLOON CAUSING ONE OF THE TETHER LINE ANCHOR EYE BOLTS TO BREAK. THE BALLOON STARTED TO DRAG ACROSS THE EVENT AREA WHICH WAS VERY CROWED WITH PEOPLE. THE PILOT WAS IN THE GONDOLA AT THE TIME. HE ACTIVATED THE BURNER TO GET THE BALLOON UP OVER THE CROWD TO AVOID INJURIES TO PERSONS. THE ENVELOPE WAS NOT COMPLETELY INFLATED AT THE TIME AND THE ACTIVATION OF THE BURNER CAUSED THE BOTTOM OF THE ENVELOPE TO CATCH FIRE. ONCE THE BALLOON WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 TO 150 FEET OVER THE CROWD, THE PILOT SHUT OFF THE BURNER AND THE ENVELOPE AREA WHICH WAS ON FIRE, SELF EXTINGUISHED. THE BALLOON TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE NORTHEAST WHERE IT LANDED IN A DESERT/BRUSH AREA. THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON BOARD AND RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES TO HIS HANDS FROM LANDING IN THE BRUSH.

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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