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20230723010369A

Accident · No damage
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FAA accident report · Head Balloons AX8-88 · Guilford, CT · July 23, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 23, 2023 · 21:42 local
Place
Guilford, CT
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N4522E
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA23LA315
Reported as
Head Balloons AX8-88
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,328 total61 in this make and model21 in the last 90 days
N4522ERegistered now · Head Balloons AX8-88S/N 183Airframe modelHead Balloons AX8-88

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 July 23, 2023 at approximately 2142 EST, a Head balloons AX8-88 was providing tethered rides at the privacy data omitted to observe a laser light show. The pilot had been operating the balloon for approximately 3 hours and as witnesses stated there was an established process in place of boarding and un-boarding the basket prior to the rides taking place. Individuals would take turns getting on and off, one at a time. At the time of the flight, 6 passenger were loaded onto the balloon along with the pilot who brought the passengers up, and then back down. As witnesses stated, when the balloon got back down, there was no volunteers to assist in un-boarding / boarding process. Three passengers got off and no one got on to counterbalance the balloon. As the fourth passenger got off the balloon, the balloon started to ascend. At that time, witnesses stated that three volunteers attempted to grab the basket to prevent it from ascending. The ascent was too strong and two of the three volunteers let go of the basket. One volunteer continued to hold on until the balloon had ascended approximately 15 feet at which point the individual let go suffering multiple serious injuries.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 23, 2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 2142 EST, A HEAD BALLOONS AX8-88 WAS PROVIDING TETHERED RIDES AT THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO OBSERVE A LASER LIGHT SHOW. THE PILOT HAD BEEN OPERATING THE BALLOON FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS AND AS WITNESSES STATED THERE WAS AN ESTABLISHED PROCESS IN PLACE OF BOARDING AND UN-BOARDING THE BASKET PRIOR TO THE RIDES TAKING PLACE. INDIVIDUALS WOULD TAKE TURNS GETTING ON AND OFF, ONE AT A TIME. AT THE TIME OF THE FLIGHT, 6 PASSENGER WERE LOADED ONTO THE BALLOON ALONG WITH THE PILOT WHO BROUGHT THE PASSENGERS UP, AND THEN BACK DOWN. AS WITNESSES STATED, WHEN THE BALLOON GOT BACK DOWN, THERE WAS NO VOLUNTEERS TO ASSIST IN UN-BOARDING / BOARDING PROCESS. THREE PASSENGERS GOT OFF AND NO ONE GOT ON TO COUNTERBALANCE THE BALLOON. AS THE FOURTH PASSENGER GOT OFF THE BALLOON, THE BALLOON STARTED TO ASCEND. AT THAT TIME, WITNESSES STATED THAT THREE VOLUNTEERS ATTEMPTED TO GRAB THE BASKET TO PREVENT IT FROM ASCENDING. THE ASCENT WAS TOO STRONG AND TWO OF THE THREE VOLUNTEERS LET GO OF THE BASKET. ONE VOLUNTEER CONTINUED TO HOLD ON UNTIL THE BALLOON HAD ASCENDED APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET AT WHICH POINT THE INDIVIDUAL LET GO SUFFERING MULTIPLE SERIOUS INJURIES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA23LA315Accident · Serious injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportGuilford, CTThe pilot’s inadequate supervision of the boarding process and the ground crewmember’s failure to immediately let go of the balloon after it began an inadvertent climb.Jul 24, 2023 · No damage

Other reports on N4522E · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20020705015209AVictor, ID(.19) On July 5, 2002, approximately 0720 mountain daylight time, a Head balloons, inc. AX8-88, N4522E, registered to and being operated by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage when it impacted power lines while landing approximately one mile…Jul 5, 2002 · No damage