# Incident 20161007019959I: Aerostar International Inc S-71A, Quechee, VT, October 7, 2016

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 7, 2016, 17:50 local time
- Place: Quechee, VT
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.6445° N, 72.4190° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Quechee, VT, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.6445&lon=-72.4190&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5312E, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5312E) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerostar International S-71A (registry code 7487072, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerostar-international-s-71a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL INC S-71A
- Reported engine: NONE NONE
- People aboard: 7
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 573 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20161007019959I

## Narrative

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

ON THE EVENING OF OCTOBER 7, 2016 THE PILOT OF A HOT AIR BALLOON AEROSTAR S-71A WITH SIX PASSENGERS ON BOARD WAS NAVIGATING QUECHEE GORGE VERMONT WHEN WIND CHANGES FORCED THE BALLOON TO MAKE CONTACT WITH A TREE, RESULTING IN A HOLE IN THE FABRIC. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MANUEVER THE BALLOON AND CONTINUED FLIGHT OVER A RIDGE, MAKING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN A SMALL WOODED OPENING. DURING LANDING, THE BALLOON SNAGGED ON A DEAD PINE TREE. ALL PASSENGERS DISEMABARKED THE BALLOON BASKET WITH OUT INCIDENT OR INJURY. THE DEAD PINE TREE WAS CUT DOWN TO LIMIT FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE CRAFT. THE BALLOONS DIMENSIONS ARE 90.55' X 59,15'. UPON INSPECTION AT THE OWNERS RESIDENCE, I FOUND TEARS IN GORES 23 TO 24, 24 TO 25, 25 TO 26, AND 26 TO 27,  ALL OF WHICH WERE FROM THE BASE TO THE EQUATOR OF THE BALLOON. BOTH THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL LOAD BEARING TAPES OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED GORES WHERE NOT DAMAGED.

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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