# Incident 20200918019399I: Coopersburg, PA, September 18, 2020

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 18, 2020, 17:30 local time
- Place: Coopersburg, PA
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Location: 40.5104° N, 75.3919° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Coopersburg, PA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.5104&lon=-75.3919&mi=10
- Aircraft: N253TH (not matched to a registry record)
- People aboard: 0
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200918019399I

## Narrative

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

ON 09/18/2020 AT 1730 EDT (2130Z), IT WAS REPORTED THAT AN UNMANNED MECHANICAL PIECE OF EQUIPMENT WITH SOLAR PANELS ATTACHED TO A PARACHUTE LANDED IN TREES AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.  LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONDED, AND THE REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER WAS CONTACTED, NOTIFYING THE ALLENTOWN FSDO (EA05).

THE EQUIPMENT WAS FOUND TO BE LABELED, BELONGING TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WHO WAS CONTACTED BY LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.  THE OWNER REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE LANDING AND HAD SOMEONE ENROUTE TO RETRIEVE THE EQUIPMENT.  LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS ADVISED BY THE FAA THAT IT WAS ACCEPTABLE TO RECOVER THE EQUIPMENT, AND THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED, RECOVERING AND SECURING THE EQUIPMENT.

ON 09/20/2020 AT 08:30 EDT, INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTACTED THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REPRESENTATIVE BY PHONE, WHO STATED THAT THE EQUIPMENT HAD BEEN RETRIEVED FROM THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT BY A ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^REPRESENTATIVE.  SHE STATED THAT THE UNMANNED BALLOON, REGISTRATION N253TH PERFORMING STRATOSPHERIC RESEARCH BETWEEN FL480 AND FL950 UNDER 14 CFR 101, HAD DRIFTED OFF ITS INTENDED COURSE AND, IN COORDINATION WITH AND UNDER PERMISSION FROM NEW YORK TRACON, THE PAYLOAD WAS RELEASED OVER EASTERN PA WITH THE INTENDED PATH A SPARSELY POPULATED AREA 5 MILES EAST OF ITS ACTUAL LANDING.   A FOLLOW-UP PHONE CALL WITH A ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONFIRMED HER ACCOUNT OF EVENTS.  AS OF THIS WRITING, THE BALLOON IS STILL ADRIFT AND ITS WHEREABOUTS ARE UNKNOWN AS THE CONTROL AND COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES ARE ATTACHED TO THE PAYLOAD.  THE ESTIMATED BALLOON SIZE IS 60 FT. TALL BY 30 FT. WIDE, WEIGHING APPROX. 150 LBS.  THE PAYLOAD ALSO HAD AN ESTIMATED WEIGHT OF 150 LBS.

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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