- Date
- September 1, 1984, 19:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- Austell, GA
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2484SHead Balloons AX7-77
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840901071489A
- Case key
- 6537
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
While flying at a low alt looking for a suitable landing area the plt noticed power lines at a higher alt. Plt initiallyapplied heat to the envelope to try and climb above the wires, but did not immediately realize the height of the wires. Plt then advised pax she would have to 'dump it' and began to pull the cord to open the envelope deflation valve in order to land short of the wires. One of the pax, without obtaining permission from the plt, reportedly used the burner to add heat to the envelope at about the same time. The basket uprights and the cables immediately above the basket contacted the wires at an alt of aprx 40 ft AGL.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2484S
- Reported as
- Head Balloons AX7-77
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 103
- Airframe hours
- 74
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Judith I. Fraenckel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 5, 1984 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- Atlanta, GA
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 340 total · 17 in this make and model · 275 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 105° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.