20120606012979A

Accident · Minor damage

FAA accident report · Cameron Balloons Z-90 · Sellersburg, IN · June 6, 2012

Date: June 6, 2012 · 20:50 local
Place: Sellersburg, IN
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N401DJ
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN12CA347
Reported as: Cameron Balloons Z-90
Reported engine: NONE NONE
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,395 total1,000 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

N401DJRegistered now · Cameron Balloons Z-90S/N 6291 · Built 2001 Airframe modelCameron Balloons Z-90 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.

The pilot, carrying two passengers onboard, landed in a newly plowed field and decided to lift back off and fly over a road to an adjacent field, which was more level for ground operations. During the ascent over the road, the balloon came in contact with two overhead electrical power wires. The pilot was electrocuted and became unconscious. The balloon floated backwards away from the electrical wires, landing back onto the ground where they just departed. The ground crew secured the balloon.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT, CARRYING TWO PASSENGERS ONBOARD, LANDED IN A NEWLY PLOWED FIELD AND DECIDED TO LIFT BACK OFF AND FLY OVER A ROAD TO AN ADJACENT FIELD, WHICH WAS MORE LEVEL FOR GROUND OPERATIONS. DURING THE ASCENT OVER THE ROAD, THE BALLOON CAME IN CONTACT WITH TWO OVERHEAD ELECTRICAL POWER WIRES. THE PILOT WAS ELECTROCUTED AND BECAME UNCONSCIOUS. THE BALLOON FLOATED BACKWARDS AWAY FROM THE ELECTRICAL WIRES, LANDING BACK ONTO THE GROUND WHERE THEY JUST DEPARTED. THE GROUND CREW SECURED THE BALLOON.

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 CEN12CA347Accident · Serious injuriesData collectionFinal reportSellersburg, INThe balloon pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines.Jun 7, 2012 · Minor damage

Other reports on N401DJ · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20140920017479ILanding: Approach · La Grange, KYPilot checked weather information for a sightseeing flight in a hot-air balloon beginning at 0300 and hourly thereafter until meeting passengers at 0700. Pilot did another check of weather, then he and passengers went to the launch site. One hour flight was…Sep 20, 2014 · Minor damage