- Date
- February 28, 1983, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4195LRaven RX-7N5563LRaven RX-7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA reports
- 19830228004562A19830228004561A
- Case key
- 4101
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The two balloons collided in mid air. One (N4195L) suffered a rip in the envelope which negated its lift, with burner full on. It descended at 500 RPM and made a hard landing. The hole in the envelope extended across 5 gore panels. The 2 balloons departed the same area with N4195L in the lead. It climbed slower and the other balloon (N5563L) overclimbed itand slid across the top of it. A bolt protruding from the metal basket of N5563L ripped the envelope of N4195L. N5563L was not damaged.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N4195L
- Reported as
- Raven RX-7
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- SSSA 926
- Airframe hours
- 140
- Engine
- None NONE, unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Nba Advertising Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 28, 1983 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- Anchorage, AK
- Airport
- MRI · Merrill Field
- Registration
- N5563L
- Reported as
- Raven RX-7
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 555A-554
- Engine
- None NONE, unknown
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Timothy Brian Cooksey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Anchorage, AK
- Airport
- MRI · Merrill Field
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N4195L
- Age
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 305 total · 305 in this make and model · 11 as pilot in command · 44 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N5563L
- Age
- 32
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.