# Incident 20210310009619I: Aerostar International Inc RAVEN S52A, Nazareth, PA, March 10, 2021

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 10, 2021, 17:57 local time
- Place: Nazareth, PA
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.7400° N, 75.3126° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Nazareth, PA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7400&lon=-75.3126&mi=10
- Aircraft: N70467, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N70467) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerostar International RAVEN S52A (registry code 7485052, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerostar-international-raven-s52a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL INC RAVEN S52A
- Reported engine: NONE NONE
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot, student
- Pilot flight hours: 140 total, 140 in this make and model, 7 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210310009619I

## Narrative

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

THE PILOT WAS ON FINAL APPROACH TO LANDING THE BALLOON, AN AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL, AT THE END OF THE FLYING DAY. THE SELECTED LANDING SITE WAS A SUITABLE, LARGE GRASS AREA NEXT TO A HOUSE. THE BALLOON PASSED ENROUTE OVER A HOUSE AND WALKWAYS, AND A NORMAL LANDING SEEMED ASSURED. SUDDENLY, A POWERFUL GUST OF WIND PUSHED THE BALOON ALONG THE GLIDE PATH, SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING THE VELOCITY (GROUND SPEED) OF FLIGHT. IMMEDIATELY, THE PILOT REALIZED THE BALLOON WAS GOING TOO FAST TO MAKE A SAFE LANDING. ACCORDINGLY, THE PILOT DECIDED TO ABORT THE LANDING. SHE ?BURNED UP?, AND THE BALLOON ASCENDED RAPIDLY. THE BALLOON GONDOLA BARELY TOUCHED SOME LEAVES IN THE TOP OF TREES AS IT CONTINUED TO ASCEND IN THE DOWNWIND DIRECTION. EVENTUALLY, THE PILOT PERCEIVED THE BALLOON WAS RAPIDLY APPROACHING SOME HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICAL WIRES THAT SUDDENLY APPEARED IN HER VISUAL FIELD. SHE DETERMINED THERE WAS A GOOD CHANCE IT WOULD HIT THE WIRES. IN ORDER TO PREVENT A POTENTIAL EXPLOSION IF A WIRE STRIKE OCCURRED, THE PILOT CUT FUEL TO THE BURNER AND SECURED THE FUEL SYSTEM VALVES. SHE THEN PREPARED HER PASSENGERS FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE BALLOON CONTINUED TO ASCEND, BUT THE BOTTOM OF THE GONDOLA STRUCK THE WIRES. IN DOING SO, THE GONDOLA PULLED ON THE WIRES, AND EVENTUALLY FRACTURED THEM. WHEN THE BALLOON WAS FREE FROM THE WIRES, SHE IMMEDIATELY CHECKED THE INTEGRITY OF THE VISIBLE LTA SYSTEM. FINDING NO VISIBLE DAMAGE FROM THE WIRE ENCOUNTER, THE PILOT RECONFIGURED THE BURNER TO THE OPERABLE CONDITION, AND PROCEDED TO MAKE A NORMAL APPROACH AND LANDING IN A LARGE FIELD BEYOND THE POWER LINES.

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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