What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N3016Z departed the meadow event park in Doswell, VA at 7:05PM local. The aircraft flew 002° (true) for 3.24NM, averaging about 6.3 knots. Video shows the aircraft in a descent, showing a continuous 13 second burn, with an operational burner. The rate of descent and especially wind/ ground speed were higher than can assure a safe landing. The aircraft was above power lines running parallel with another perpendicular power line directly ahead. The emergency procedure / memory items for imminent power line impact is to immediately close the fuel valve then descend rapidly or ?rip out?; this was not followed. The burn stops about one second before striking the power lines. The aircraft struck power lines at 7:36 at position 37°54'19.58"n, 77°25'19.00"w. (point of clarification: this was not nor were there any pre-approved landing sites as is routinely repeated.) Impact with the power line compromised the fuel system and provided the ignition source. A large flame immediately erupted and expanded to about six feet in diameter and about sixteen feet tall, from a bottom corner of the basket to where the flames contacted the envelope. The balloon immediately began to ascend uncontrollably from the lift created by the very large flame. Video shows smoke coming from the top vent indicating an attempt to descend, but the very high heat within the envelope would prevent this. About two minutes later two of the occupants exited the basket and fell several hundred feet. The aircraft continued on approximately a 020° course for about 1NM, climbing to over one thousand feet, until a pressurized fuel tank ruptured violently and catastrophically destroyed the basket (the third occupant was still inside the aircraft). Time and distance calculations of compiled radar data show the aircraft averaging 27 knots from the time of the explosion to the time it came to rest (high wind conditions for balloon operations). The envelope and remains of the destroyed basket were located 5.2NM at 27° (ref true north) from the point where it struck the power lines.
As the FAA filed it
N3016Z DEPARTED THE MEADOW EVENT PARK IN DOSWELL, VA AT 7:05PM LOCAL. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW 002° (TRUE) FOR 3.24NM, AVERAGING ABOUT 6.3 KNOTS. VIDEO SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT IN A DESCENT, SHOWING A CONTINUOUS 13 SECOND BURN, WITH AN OPERATIONAL BURNER. THE RATE OF DESCENT AND ESPECIALLY WIND/ GROUND SPEED WERE HIGHER THAN CAN ASSURE A SAFE LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOVE POWER LINES RUNNING PARALLEL WITH ANOTHER PERPENDICULAR POWER LINE DIRECTLY AHEAD. THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURE / MEMORY ITEMS FOR IMMINENT POWER LINE IMPACT IS TO IMMEDIATELY CLOSE THE FUEL VALVE THEN DESCEND RAPIDLY OR ?RIP OUT?; THIS WAS NOT FOLLOWED. THE BURN STOPS ABOUT ONE SECOND BEFORE STRIKING THE POWER LINES. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK POWER LINES AT 7:36 AT POSITION 37°54'19.58"N, 77°25'19.00"W. (POINT OF CLARIFICATION: THIS WAS NOT NOR WERE THERE ANY PRE-APPROVED LANDING SITES AS IS ROUTINELY REPEATED.) IMPACT WITH THE POWER LINE COMPROMISED THE FUEL SYSTEM AND PROVIDED THE IGNITION SOURCE. A LARGE FLAME IMMEDIATELY ERUPTED AND EXPANDED TO ABOUT SIX FEET IN DIAMETER AND ABOUT SIXTEEN FEET TALL, FROM A BOTTOM CORNER OF THE BASKET TO WHERE THE FLAMES CONTACTED THE ENVELOPE. THE BALLOON IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO ASCEND UNCONTROLLABLY FROM THE LIFT CREATED BY THE VERY LARGE FLAME. VIDEO SHOWS SMOKE COMING FROM THE TOP VENT INDICATING AN ATTEMPT TO DESCEND, BUT THE VERY HIGH HEAT WITHIN THE ENVELOPE WOULD PREVENT THIS. ABOUT TWO MINUTES LATER TWO OF THE OCCUPANTS EXITED THE BASKET AND FELL SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ON APPROXIMATELY A 020° COURSE FOR ABOUT 1NM, CLIMBING TO OVER ONE THOUSAND FEET, UNTIL A PRESSURIZED FUEL TANK RUPTURED VIOLENTLY AND CATASTROPHICALLY DESTROYED THE BASKET (THE THIRD OCCUPANT WAS STILL INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT). TIME AND DISTANCE CALCULATIONS OF COMPILED RADAR DATA SHOW THE AIRCRAFT AVERAGING 27 KNOTS FROM THE TIME OF THE EXPLOSION TO THE TIME IT CAME TO REST (HIGH WIND CONDITIONS FOR BALLOON OPERATIONS). THE ENVELOPE AND REMAINS OF THE DESTROYED BASKET WERE LOCATED 5.2NM AT 27° (REF TRUE NORTH) FROM THE POINT WHERE IT STRUCK THE POWER LINES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.