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20180309001789I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Aerostar International RX 8 · Namekagon, WI · March 9, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 9, 2018 · 17:00 local
Place
Namekagon, WI
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N4027S
Reported as
Aerostar International RX 8
Reported engine
NONE NONE
People aboard
5
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
570 total400 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days
N4027SRegistration cancelled May 8, 2021 · Aerostar International RX 8S/N RX8-3287 · Built 1996Airframe 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.

On March 9, 2018 at approximately 1340 local time, a hot air balloon model RX8 Aerostar international corp., registration N4027S, operated by a commercial pilot with 4 passengers on board, took flight departing from the windward side of lake Namekagon, Wisconsin near the town of cable. At the time of lift off, winds were approximately 330 degrees at 4 mph. Approximately 15 minutes onto the flight the pilot attempted to land in the bay close to the shore, the pilot stated the deflation line malfunctioned, not allowing the balloon to descend. At this time, the winds shifted to approximately 40 degrees to 290 degrees at 5 mph, pushing the balloon off the lake and over the chequamegon national forest. The pilot landed in a clearing in the forest. One of the passengers disembarked attempting to secure the balloon line fell in the deep snow. The pilot disembarked to assist in securing the balloon. When the third person disembarked the balloon gained flight with the two remaining passenger on board. The balloon landed approximately one-quarter mile away in the forest, contacting the trees, with the gondola coming to rest on the ground with the envelope against the trees. The pilot and passengers sustained no injuries. The balloon sustained minor damage. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed.

As the FAA filed it

ON MARCH 9, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 1340 LOCAL TIME, A HOT AIR BALLOON MODEL RX8 AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL CORP., REGISTRATION N4027S, OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT WITH 4 PASSENGERS ON BOARD, TOOK FLIGHT DEPARTING FROM THE WINDWARD SIDE OF LAKE NAMEKAGON, WISCONSIN NEAR THE TOWN OF CABLE. AT THE TIME OF LIFT OFF, WINDS WERE APPROXIMATELY 330 DEGREES AT 4 MPH. APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES ONTO THE FLIGHT THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN THE BAY CLOSE TO THE SHORE, THE PILOT STATED THE DEFLATION LINE MALFUNCTIONED, NOT ALLOWING THE BALLOON TO DESCEND. AT THIS TIME, THE WINDS SHIFTED TO APPROXIMATELY 40 DEGREES TO 290 DEGREES AT 5 MPH, PUSHING THE BALLOON OFF THE LAKE AND OVER THE CHEQUAMEGON NATIONAL FOREST. THE PILOT LANDED IN A CLEARING IN THE FOREST. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS DISEMBARKED ATTEMPTING TO SECURE THE BALLOON LINE FELL IN THE DEEP SNOW. THE PILOT DISEMBARKED TO ASSIST IN SECURING THE BALLOON. WHEN THE THIRD PERSON DISEMBARKED THE BALLOON GAINED FLIGHT WITH THE TWO REMAINING PASSENGER ON BOARD. THE BALLOON LANDED APPROXIMATELY ONE-QUARTER MILE AWAY IN THE FOREST, CONTACTING THE TREES, WITH THE GONDOLA COMING TO REST ON THE GROUND WITH THE ENVELOPE AGAINST THE TREES. THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. THE BALLOON SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. DAY VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED.