# Accident 20220410005239A: Adams Balloons LLC A55S, Safford, AZ, April 10, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 10, 2022, 06:45 local time
- Place: Safford, AZ
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.8332° N, 109.7715° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8332&lon=-109.7715&mi=10
- Aircraft: N866RA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N866RA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Adams Balloons A55S (registry code 0050355, https://openairdocs.org/model/adams-balloons-a55s) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ADAMS BALLOONS LLC A55S
- Reported engine: NONE NONE
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 275 total, 164 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR22LA152](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA152) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220410005239A

## Narrative

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

ON 04/10/2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 0645 MST N866RA TOOK OFF FROM SAFFORD, AZ WITH TWO PASSENGERS FOR A 1 HOUR FLIGHT.  20-30 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE PILOT REPORTED LOSS OF POWER IN BOTH BURNERS AS "LOW PRESSURE FAILURE". PILOT LIGHTS REMAINED LIT. THE PILOT TRIED TO GLIDE OVER POWER LINES BUT BALLOON CABLES STRUCK THE POWER LINES CAUSING ONE CABLE TO BREAK. THE ENVELOPE OF THE BALLOON PARTIALLY COVERED THE POWER LINES. CITY OF THATCHER POWER CLEARED THE POWER LINES. NO GROUND DAMAGE REPORTED.  INITIALLY REPORTED AS NO INJURIES BUT BOTH PASSENGERS SUFFERED BURNS CONSISTENT WITH A 2ND DEGREE BURN DEFINITION.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR22LA152](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA152), Apr 10, 2022: Adams Balloons A55S (N866RA), Safford, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s decision to continue the balloon’s fast approach to an unsuitable confined landing site, which resulted in a collision with powerline wires.

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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