ANC84LA104

NTSB accident investigation · Raven S-55A · Anchorage, AK · June 22, 1984

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
June 22, 1984, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC)
Place
Anchorage, AK
Injuries
4 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N5562LRaven S-55A
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Alaska Regional Office
FAA report
19840622028489A
Case key
4313

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.

In flight collision with objectLanding
Object - wire,transmissionFactor
Visual lookout - inadequatePilot in commandCause
On ground/water collision with objectLanding

Analysis

While apchg to land on a school ground, the balloon plt lowered a drop line for the ground crew, then looked forward & saw a power line. He told the ground crew not to touch the drop line. The drop line contacted & pulled one power line into another, causing a short. The balloon envelope then draped over an obstruction (outdoor light), which pierced the envelope.

Aircraft

Registration
N5562L
Reported as
Raven S-55A
Category
Balloon
Serial number
555
Airframe hours
267
Engine
unknown
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Erroll Drollinger
Last inspection
Annual · June 13, 1984 · 5 hours before

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

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
43
Certificate
Commercial
Flight hours
100 total · 100 in this make and model · 100 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Visibility
50 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
64 °F, dew point 37 °F
Altimeter
29.00 inHg

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.