20180328014659A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Ultramagic N-300 · Cave Creek, AZ · March 28, 2018

Date: March 28, 2018 · 08:15 local
Place: Cave Creek, AZ
Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N64EX
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA18CA185
Reported as: Ultramagic N-300
Reported engine: N/A N/A
People aboard: 14
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot

N64EXRegistration cancelled Feb 23, 2019 · Ultramagic N-300S/N 300/59 · Built 2016 Airframe modelUltramagic N-300 Engine 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.

A hot air balloon operated by hot air expeditions, which describes itself as a ?balloon ride tour agency? Caught fire when its 13AERONAUTS who had paid hot air expeditions for a one-hour flight were exiting the basket. The pilot said after 65 to 70 minutes of flight, that during the landing, the balloon skidded up against a tree such that the tree branches pushed the balloon envelope inward.

To prevent the envelope from draping over the tree as it deflated the pilot activated the burner. The heat created a hole in the fabric where the tree was pressing against the envelope. Due to the hole and heat, the protruding branches caught fire. The ensuing fire from the branches consumed approximately 25% of the envelope, associated rigging and spread to the basket.

The pilot said that he was surprised when the envelope caught fire and that he ?may have been complacent? While activating the burner with the flame aimed at the intruding portion of the envelope.

As the FAA filed it

A HOT AIR BALLOON OPERATED BY HOT AIR EXPEDITIONS, WHICH DESCRIBES ITSELF AS A ?BALLOON RIDE TOUR AGENCY? CAUGHT FIRE WHEN ITS 13AERONAUTS WHO HAD PAID HOT AIR EXPEDITIONS FOR A ONE-HOUR FLIGHT WERE EXITING THE BASKET. THE PILOT SAID AFTER 65 TO 70 MINUTES OF FLIGHT, THAT DURING THE LANDING, THE BALLOON SKIDDED UP AGAINST A TREE SUCH THAT THE TREE BRANCHES PUSHED THE BALLOON ENVELOPE INWARD.

TO PREVENT THE ENVELOPE FROM DRAPING OVER THE TREE AS IT DEFLATED THE PILOT ACTIVATED THE BURNER. THE HEAT CREATED A HOLE IN THE FABRIC WHERE THE TREE WAS PRESSING AGAINST THE ENVELOPE. DUE TO THE HOLE AND HEAT, THE PROTRUDING BRANCHES CAUGHT FIRE. THE ENSUING FIRE FROM THE BRANCHES CONSUMED APPROXIMATELY 25% OF THE ENVELOPE, ASSOCIATED RIGGING AND SPREAD TO THE BASKET.

THE PILOT SAID THAT HE WAS SURPRISED WHEN THE ENVELOPE CAUGHT FIRE AND THAT HE ?MAY HAVE BEEN COMPLACENT? WHILE ACTIVATING THE BURNER WITH THE FLAME AIMED AT THE INTRUDING PORTION OF THE ENVELOPE.

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 GAA18CA185Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportCave Creek, AZThe balloon pilot’s decision to add heat to the envelope with a tree branch protruding into the envelope that caught fire.Mar 28, 2018 · Destroyed