# Incident 20180624008529I: Cameron Balloons US C-60L, Howell, MI, June 24, 2018

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 24, 2018, 07:37 local time
- Place: Howell, MI
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.6081° N, 83.9343° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Howell, MI, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.6081&lon=-83.9343&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1603D, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1603D-2020-08-02) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cameron Balloons US C-60L (registry code 1880222, https://openairdocs.org/model/cameron-balloons-us-c-60l) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CAMERON BALLOONS US C-60L
- Reported engine: NONE NONE
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 980 total, 300 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/20180624008529I

## Narrative

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

AFTER DEPLOYING A TARGET MARKER DURING BALLOON COMPETITION, THE PILOT HEATED TO CLIMB, THEN VENTED TO SLOW HIS ASCENT. HE OVER-VENTED AND WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN ADEQUATE CLIMB RATE. BALLOON STUCK POWER LINES CAUSING ARCING DAMAGE. UNCERTAIN OF THE BALLOON'S STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY, THE PILOT VENTED AS HE FLEW OVER AN ADJACENT LAKE, DELIBERATELY LANDING IN THE LAKE TO AVOID FURTHER DAMAGE OR A HARD LANDING. PILOT AND BALLON WERE TOWED TO SHORE, WHERE THE PILOT WAS EXAMINED BY EMS AND DETERMINED TO BE UNINJURED. BALLOON WAS LATER EXAMINED BY OPS AND A/W INSPECTORS, AND BALLOON REPAIR STATION PERSONNEL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONSULTED, AND ALL AGREED THE BALLOON DID NOT HAVE MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.

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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