# Incident 20180309001789I: Aerostar International Inc RX 8, Namekagon, WI, March 9, 2018

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 9, 2018, 17:00 local time
- Place: Namekagon, WI
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 46.2127° N, 91.0455° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Namekagon, WI, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.2127&lon=-91.0455&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4027S, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4027S-2021-05-08) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerostar International RX 8 (registry code 7487008, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerostar-international-rx-8) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL INC RX 8
- Reported engine: NONE NONE
- People aboard: 5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 570 total, 400 in this make and model, 2 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180309001789I

## Narrative

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

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.

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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