20140719014539A

Accident · Minor damage

FAA accident report · Colt Balloons 160A · Clinton, MA · July 19, 2014

Date: July 19, 2014 · 19:50 local
Place: Clinton, MA
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N976TC
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA14LA347
Reported as: Colt Balloons 160A
Reported engine: N/A N/A
People aboard: 7
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 3
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,390 total322 in this make and model24 in the last 90 days

N976TCRegistered now · Colt Balloons 160AS/N 1482US Airframe modelColt Balloons 160A

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 July 19, 2014 at approximately 2000 hours, privacy data omitted was operating his balloon with six passengers on board for a sight seeing flight, traveling north over the residential area of Clinton, MA. privacy data omitted Was operating the balloon at an altitude at tree top height over Clinton, MA. The pilot attempted to land in a residential backyard. While descending for touchdown in the residential backyard, privacy data omitted failed to clear the powerlines across the street from the intended landing area. The basket made contact with the top row of powerlines approximately 12 inches from the bottom of the basket. The powerlines broke, creating an electrical burst which caused burns to the basket of the balloon and burns to three of the passengers on board the basket. The balloon landed without further incident in the intended location.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 19, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 HOURS, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS OPERATING HIS BALLOON WITH SIX PASSENGERS ON BOARD FOR A SIGHT SEEING FLIGHT, TRAVELING NORTH OVER THE RESIDENTIAL AREA OF CLINTON, MA. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS OPERATING THE BALLOON AT AN ALTITUDE AT TREE TOP HEIGHT OVER CLINTON, MA. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN A RESIDENTIAL BACKYARD. WHILE DESCENDING FOR TOUCHDOWN IN THE RESIDENTIAL BACKYARD, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FAILED TO CLEAR THE POWERLINES ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE INTENDED LANDING AREA. THE BASKET MADE CONTACT WITH THE TOP ROW OF POWERLINES APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE BASKET. THE POWERLINES BROKE, CREATING AN ELECTRICAL BURST WHICH CAUSED BURNS TO THE BASKET OF THE BALLOON AND BURNS TO THREE OF THE PASSENGERS ON BOARD THE BASKET. THE BALLOON LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT IN THE INTENDED LOCATION.

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 ERA14LA347Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportClinton, MAThe pilot's inadequate preflight and inflight planning and improper landing site selection and approach path, which resulted in the balloon contacting powerlines during landing. Contributing to the accident was the Federal Aviation Administration's inadequate…Jul 20, 2014 · Minor damage

Other reports on N976TC · 1

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

Incident 20190818014079ILanding: Touchdown · Lewiston, MEOn 08/23/2019 during the great falls balloon festival at Lewiston auburn the balloon departed the launch site flying northeast at approximately 2000 feet. A short time later the pilot located the landing site and started a descent watching other balloonists…Aug 18, 2019 · Minor damage