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20221106017519I

Incident · Substantial damage
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FAA incident report · Linstrand Albuquerque · Albuquerque, NM · November 6, 2022

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 6, 2022 · 08:00 local
Place
Albuquerque, NM
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N3011P
Reported as
Linstrand Albuquerque
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours
31 total20 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days
N3011PRegistered now · Lindstrand Balloons 77AS/N 5089Airframe modelLindstrand Balloons 77AEngine modelNONENone

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 November 6, 2022, at 0800 MST,privacy data omitted, a lindstrand model 77A balloon,privacy data omitted struck a power line while landing near the intersection privacy data omitted. The flight was being conducted for personal purposes. The aircraft departed privacy data omitted at approximately 0705 MST on November 6, 2022 and was flying under 14 CFR 91 and VFR in VMC. The pilot did not file a flight plan. The aircraft sustained substantial damage because of arcing from the power lines. The pilot was uninjured. Investigation revealed that there were no mechanical defects with the aircraft.

The pilot reported that the wind was only 1-2 knots and that she knew that she was close to the power lines but thought she would just clear them. Once she discovered that she was snagged, she ripped out and the basket began to tip. This is when the envelope draped over the power lines. At approximately 0802 MST, the pilot jumped out of the basket to avoid potential shock. At approximately 0832 MST the increased weight of the envelope caused the power lines to arc and the envelope to sustain substantial damage. The iic coordinated with the NTSB who concurred with categorizing this as an incident. This takes into account the 30-minute gap between the pilot exiting the aircraft and the time the aircraft sustained substantial damage. It is the iic’s opinion that the root cause for this incident was the pilot’s lack of experience for the given conditions when she did not perform proper obstacle avoidance. The pilot will receive remedial training on power line safety for balloon pilots.

As the FAA filed it

ON NOVEMBER 6, 2022, AT 0800 MST,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A LINDSTRAND MODEL 77A BALLOON,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STRUCK A POWER LINE WHILE LANDING NEAR THE INTERSECTION ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED FOR PERSONAL PURPOSES. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT APPROXIMATELY 0705 MST ON NOVEMBER 6, 2022 AND WAS FLYING UNDER 14 CFR 91 AND VFR IN VMC. THE PILOT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE BECAUSE OF ARCING FROM THE POWER LINES. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL DEFECTS WITH THE AIRCRAFT.

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS ONLY 1-2 KNOTS AND THAT SHE KNEW THAT SHE WAS CLOSE TO THE POWER LINES BUT THOUGHT SHE WOULD JUST CLEAR THEM. ONCE SHE DISCOVERED THAT SHE WAS SNAGGED, SHE RIPPED OUT AND THE BASKET BEGAN TO TIP. THIS IS WHEN THE ENVELOPE DRAPED OVER THE POWER LINES. AT APPROXIMATELY 0802 MST, THE PILOT JUMPED OUT OF THE BASKET TO AVOID POTENTIAL SHOCK. AT APPROXIMATELY 0832 MST THE INCREASED WEIGHT OF THE ENVELOPE CAUSED THE POWER LINES TO ARC AND THE ENVELOPE TO SUSTAIN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE IIC COORDINATED WITH THE NTSB WHO CONCURRED WITH CATEGORIZING THIS AS AN INCIDENT. THIS TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE 30-MINUTE GAP BETWEEN THE PILOT EXITING THE AIRCRAFT AND THE TIME THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. IT IS THE IIC’S OPINION THAT THE ROOT CAUSE FOR THIS INCIDENT WAS THE PILOT’S LACK OF EXPERIENCE FOR THE GIVEN CONDITIONS WHEN SHE DID NOT PERFORM PROPER OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE. THE PILOT WILL RECEIVE REMEDIAL TRAINING ON POWER LINE SAFETY FOR BALLOON PILOTS.