20200119003669A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Thunder Balloons AX9-140 SII · Homestead, FL · January 19, 2020

Date: January 19, 2020 · 07:45 local
Place: Homestead, FL
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N970TC
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA20LA094
Reported as: Thunder Balloons AX9-140 SII
Reported engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG
People aboard: 9
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 8
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 157 total157 in this make and model11 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.

Part 91 operator, operating a balloon, AX9-14(s.2) N970TC with 1 pilot and 8 passengers onboard hit numerous trees and crashed into electrical power lines. There was no ground injuries or damages, two passengers with serious burn injuries transported to hospital and remaining passenger with minor injuries.

As the FAA filed it

PART 91 OPERATOR, OPERATING A BALLOON, AX9-14(S.2) N970TC WITH 1 PILOT AND 8 PASSENGERS ONBOARD HIT NUMEROUS TREES AND CRASHED INTO ELECTRICAL POWER LINES. THERE WAS NO GROUND INJURIES OR DAMAGES, TWO PASSENGERS WITH SERIOUS BURN INJURIES TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL AND REMAINING PASSENGER WITH MINOR INJURIES.

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 ERA20LA094Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportHomestead, FLThe pilot's decision to operate the balloon at low altitude near obstructions, structures, and powerlines, which resulted in the balloon contacting powerlines. Contributing to the accident was the Federal Aviation Administration's inadequate oversight of…Jan 19, 2020 · Minor damage