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20211004016969I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Aerostar International RX-7 · Albuquerque, NM · October 4, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 4, 2021 · 08:45 local
Place
Albuquerque, NM
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N6502K
Reported as
Aerostar International RX-7
Reported engine
Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
399 total89 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days
N6502KRegistration cancelled Jun 15, 2023 · Aerostar International RX-7S/N RX7-3123 · Built 1987Airframe modelAerostar International RX-7Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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.

On October 4, 2021, at 0845 MDT, an Aerostar international, inc. balloon, N6502K,privacy data omitted made a hard landing near topeka street sw in Albuquerque, NM.(35° 3? 19?n 106° 39? 2?w). The private pilot sustained minor injury (a high ankle sprain) and the passenger sustained no injuries. The balloon had significant scorch damage to the envelope fabric and load tapes. The flight originated in VFR conditions from Albuquerque international balloon fiesta park on October 4, 2021, at approximately 0730 MDT. No flight plan was filed.

The pilot stated that although the wind was forecast to be 20 knots at 1000 feet AGL, he felt he had to fly as an aibf participant. He went on to describe that as soon as he was aloft, he was looking for a place to land and was running out of options. He saw an empty lot but as the balloon was coming down, the envelope struck a high tension line and pendulum swung underneath it. The pilot pulled the red cord deflating the balloon and, as it hit the ground, the deflating envelope wrapped around another power line.

In the opinion of iic that the pilot felt pressured to fly even though winds were forecast to be above 20 knots. Pilot competency is also an issue considering he had only flown 7 hours in the 90 days prior to aibf

T-SW01-FY22-0130, SW01202200492 and 498

As the FAA filed it

ON OCTOBER 4, 2021, AT 0845 MDT, AN AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL, INC. BALLOON, N6502K,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MADE A HARD LANDING NEAR TOPEKA STREET SW IN ALBUQUERQUE, NM.(35° 3? 19?N 106° 39? 2?W). THE PRIVATE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURY (A HIGH ANKLE SPRAIN) AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. THE BALLOON HAD SIGNIFICANT SCORCH DAMAGE TO THE ENVELOPE FABRIC AND LOAD TAPES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN VFR CONDITIONS FROM ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA PARK ON OCTOBER 4, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 0730 MDT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.

THE PILOT STATED THAT ALTHOUGH THE WIND WAS FORECAST TO BE 20 KNOTS AT 1000 FEET AGL, HE FELT HE HAD TO FLY AS AN AIBF PARTICIPANT. HE WENT ON TO DESCRIBE THAT AS SOON AS HE WAS ALOFT, HE WAS LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND AND WAS RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS. HE SAW AN EMPTY LOT BUT AS THE BALLOON WAS COMING DOWN, THE ENVELOPE STRUCK A HIGH TENSION LINE AND PENDULUM SWUNG UNDERNEATH IT. THE PILOT PULLED THE RED CORD DEFLATING THE BALLOON AND, AS IT HIT THE GROUND, THE DEFLATING ENVELOPE WRAPPED AROUND ANOTHER POWER LINE.

IN THE OPINION OF IIC THAT THE PILOT FELT PRESSURED TO FLY EVEN THOUGH WINDS WERE FORECAST TO BE ABOVE 20 KNOTS. PILOT COMPETENCY IS ALSO AN ISSUE CONSIDERING HE HAD ONLY FLOWN 7 HOURS IN THE 90 DAYS PRIOR TO AIBF

T-SW01-FY22-0130, SW01202200492 AND 498