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20160213004709I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Aerostar International RX 8 · Petaluma, CA · February 13, 2016

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 13, 2016 · 09:00 local
Place
Petaluma, CA
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N3647A
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR16LA070
Reported as
Aerostar International RX 8
Reported engine
NONE NONE
People aboard
10
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,768 total1,000 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days
N3647ARegistered now · Aerostar International RX 8S/N RX8-3064Airframe modelAerostar International RX 8Engine 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.

0700; Passengers assembled for a balloon sightseeing tour with ?balloon over sonoma?. Preflight and passenger briefing was completed at 0730. Current weather conditions; broken ground fog up to 100?. PIC delayed departure until the conditions improved to scattered. At approximately 0800 the balloon departed and ascended to 1000?, cruise altitude. On descent, as earlier briefed, the passengers were instructed to hold on to the perimeter strap and get below the basket edge to prepare for their descent into uphill terrain. The wind gusts increased to 10MPH and pushed the balloon into a metal fence, jostling the passengers. The PIC ascended to clear additional obstacles and landed on an adjacent road. (privacy data omitted, Petaluma, CA)

The balloon landed upright and passengers disembarked normally. It was at this time that the injury to the 6 year old passenger was noted. Persons from the adjacent residence to the landing site transported the parents and child to Petaluma valley hospital for treatment. From there, the injured child was taken to the children?s hospital where he was treated and released.

As the FAA filed it

0700; PASSENGERS ASSEMBLED FOR A BALLOON SIGHTSEEING TOUR WITH ?BALLOON OVER SONOMA?. PREFLIGHT AND PASSENGER BRIEFING WAS COMPLETED AT 0730. CURRENT WEATHER CONDITIONS; BROKEN GROUND FOG UP TO 100?. PIC DELAYED DEPARTURE UNTIL THE CONDITIONS IMPROVED TO SCATTERED. AT APPROXIMATELY 0800 THE BALLOON DEPARTED AND ASCENDED TO 1000?, CRUISE ALTITUDE. ON DESCENT, AS EARLIER BRIEFED, THE PASSENGERS WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD ON TO THE PERIMETER STRAP AND GET BELOW THE BASKET EDGE TO PREPARE FOR THEIR DESCENT INTO UPHILL TERRAIN. THE WIND GUSTS INCREASED TO 10MPH AND PUSHED THE BALLOON INTO A METAL FENCE, JOSTLING THE PASSENGERS. THE PIC ASCENDED TO CLEAR ADDITIONAL OBSTACLES AND LANDED ON AN ADJACENT ROAD. (^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, PETALUMA, CA)

THE BALLOON LANDED UPRIGHT AND PASSENGERS DISEMBARKED NORMALLY. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT THE INJURY TO THE 6 YEAR OLD PASSENGER WAS NOTED. PERSONS FROM THE ADJACENT RESIDENCE TO THE LANDING SITE TRANSPORTED THE PARENTS AND CHILD TO PETALUMA VALLEY HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. FROM THERE, THE INJURED CHILD WAS TAKEN TO THE CHILDREN?S HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS TREATED AND RELEASED.

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 WPR16LA070Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPetaluma, CAThe pilot's inadequate compensation for wind during the landing approach, which resulted in the balloon’s basket impacting a metal fence and a passenger sustaining serious injuries.Feb 13, 2016 · Minor damage