20181014020059I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 · Shedd, OR · October 14, 2018

Date
October 14, 2018 · 09:15 local
Place
Shedd, OR
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N3126F
Reported as
Balloon Works Firefly 8B-15
Reported engine
NONE NONE
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
32 total32 in this make and model21 in the last 90 days

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.

After departing albany, Oregon park enroute for field near Shedd Oregon, windspeed became higher then pilot anticipated for the short flight. Pilot was unsuccessful in first landing attempt in field near Shedd because his approach was to steep and he bounced back into air after contacting ground. Pilot elected to acsend to safe altitude and clear obstacle at end if field. He selected another field immediately downwind of first field but failed to adequately clear for obstacles. Balloon struck powerlines at beginning of field just above the basket and started to fold around the lines. The Balloon's forward momentum was enough to break the powerlines, freeing the Balloon where the pilot was now able to successfully perform a high wind speed landing without injury to passengers or obvious damage to Balloon. Balloon to be inspected at local Balloon repair station.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER DEPARTING ALBANY, OREGON PARK ENROUTE FOR FIELD NEAR SHEDD OREGON, WINDSPEED BECAME HIGHER THEN PILOT ANTICIPATED FOR THE SHORT FLIGHT. PILOT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN FIRST LANDING ATTEMPT IN FIELD NEAR SHEDD BECAUSE HIS APPROACH WAS TO STEEP AND HE BOUNCED BACK INTO AIR AFTER CONTACTING GROUND. PILOT ELECTED TO ACSEND TO SAFE ALTITUDE AND CLEAR OBSTACLE AT END IF FIELD. HE SELECTED ANOTHER FIELD IMMEDIATELY DOWNWIND OF FIRST FIELD BUT FAILED TO ADEQUATELY CLEAR FOR OBSTACLES. BALLOON STRUCK POWERLINES AT BEGINNING OF FIELD JUST ABOVE THE BASKET AND STARTED TO FOLD AROUND THE LINES. THE BALLOON'S FORWARD MOMENTUM WAS ENOUGH TO BREAK THE POWERLINES, FREEING THE BALLOON WHERE THE PILOT WAS NOW ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY PERFORM A HIGH WIND SPEED LANDING WITHOUT INJURY TO PASSENGERS OR OBVIOUS DAMAGE TO BALLOON. BALLOON TO BE INSPECTED AT LOCAL BALLOON REPAIR STATION.