- Date
- August 5, 1995, 08:10 local (12:10 UTC)
- Place
- Kingsport, TN
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N304FBFantasy Sky Promotions Fantasy 6
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 16, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950805026519A
- Case key
- 3607
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout.
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 pilot stated that he was participating in a 'hare and hound' balloon race event. He stated that while descending to drop the bean bag on the target, he did not see the power line. He stated that the power line was hidden in the trees. The balloon struck the power line, and both occupants received serious burn injuries.
Factual narrative
On August 5, 1995, at 0810 eastern daylight time, a Fantasy Sky Promotions Fantasy 6 Balloon, N304FB was substantially damaged following a collision with trees and electrical lines during a balloon race near Kingsport, Tennessee. The commercial pilot and his passenger were both seriously injured in the accident. The aircraft was being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 at the time. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight.
The pilot stated that he was participating in a balloon "Hare and Hound" race. He was approaching the target area, and descending to drop the bean bag. He stated that he did not see the power line, which was in the tree tops, until the aircraft struck the lines. The aircraft contacted the power lines during the descent, and both occupants received burns from the power lines.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N304FB
- Reported as
- Fantasy Sky Promotions Fantasy 6
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 056
- Airframe hours
- 83
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gordon A. Anderson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1995 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
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
- 69
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 31 in this make and model · 3,700 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TRI, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.