OpenAirDocs.org

20190810024649A

Accident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Head Balloons AX9-118 · Galt, CA · August 10, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information PortalNTSB investigation search

© OpenStreetMap
Date
August 10, 2019 · 08:39 local
Place
Galt, CA
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2027S
Reported as
Head Balloons AX9-118
Reported engine
NONE NONE
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,047 total
N2027SRegistered now · Head Balloons AX9-118S/N 430 · Built 2013Airframe modelHead Balloons AX9-118Engine 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.

August 10, 2019, time was 0845, balloon festival at privacy data omitted, Galt California. Public display and tethered balloon rides to the public.

After multiple successful earlier tether rides, the three tethered balloons decided to end rides due to increasing wind and potential thermal activity. Balloon was tethered to three trucks, and was suddenly lifted by wind (false-lift), to approximately 50FT, (only the pilot was on board), and one rope snapped, then a second. Balloon was held by only one rope, and began to twist. Pilot ordered the last rope to be cut for safety and began a flight, unfortunately towards power lines. Pilot applied burner heat to rise over the wires which also burned a panel of the nomex fireproof skirt above. After safely avoiding the wires he chose to land immediately in the next field. The balloon was not fully inflated by this point and the decent was fast with a hard landing.

Pilot exited the basket and was attended to by emergency services and diagnosed by a neurologist with a tailbone "simple compression fracture of L1".

As the FAA filed it

AUGUST 10, 2019, TIME WAS 0845, BALLOON FESTIVAL AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, GALT CALIFORNIA. PUBLIC DISPLAY AND TETHERED BALLOON RIDES TO THE PUBLIC.

AFTER MULTIPLE SUCCESSFUL EARLIER TETHER RIDES, THE THREE TETHERED BALLOONS DECIDED TO END RIDES DUE TO INCREASING WIND AND POTENTIAL THERMAL ACTIVITY. BALLOON WAS TETHERED TO THREE TRUCKS, AND WAS SUDDENLY LIFTED BY WIND (FALSE-LIFT), TO APPROXIMATELY 50FT, (ONLY THE PILOT WAS ON BOARD), AND ONE ROPE SNAPPED, THEN A SECOND. BALLOON WAS HELD BY ONLY ONE ROPE, AND BEGAN TO TWIST. PILOT ORDERED THE LAST ROPE TO BE CUT FOR SAFETY AND BEGAN A FLIGHT, UNFORTUNATELY TOWARDS POWER LINES. PILOT APPLIED BURNER HEAT TO RISE OVER THE WIRES WHICH ALSO BURNED A PANEL OF THE NOMEX FIREPROOF SKIRT ABOVE. AFTER SAFELY AVOIDING THE WIRES HE CHOSE TO LAND IMMEDIATELY IN THE NEXT FIELD. THE BALLOON WAS NOT FULLY INFLATED BY THIS POINT AND THE DECENT WAS FAST WITH A HARD LANDING.

PILOT EXITED THE BASKET AND WAS ATTENDED TO BY EMERGENCY SERVICES AND DIAGNOSED BY A NEUROLOGIST WITH A TAILBONE "SIMPLE COMPRESSION FRACTURE OF L1".