- Date
- February 8, 2009, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Terre Haute, IN
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7524JCameron Balloons V-77
- Defining event
- Approach: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Adminstration
- FAA report
- 20090208010639A
- Case key
- 73343
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 loss of the burner pilot light during approach to the landing area and the pilot's failure to relight the burner using alternate sources.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The balloon pilot and passenger departed on a personal flight and flew for 30-40 minutes, during which the pilot performed a simulated "pilot light failure" emergency procedure. The pilot performed the simulation so as to "teach" the passenger the procedure. The pilot light was reportedly not extinguished during or after the simulation. Following the simulation, the pilot began a stair-step climb for the approach to a landing area during which the pilot light extinguished at the last stop of the climb. The pilot said he had three sources of ignition aboard: a flint spark provided by the balloon manufacturer, a grill lighter, and a wind proof grill lighter. He could not relight the pilot light after three attempts, and also attempted to light fuel from the whisper and blast valves. The pilot stated that fuel emanated from these valves during the relight attempts. There was about 25 gallons of fuel remaining at the time of the accident. The pilot then pulled the "red line or deflation line" to deflate the balloon. The balloon descended into 180-foot-high power lines and caught fire, which consumed the basket and envelope. The pilot was uninjured and the passenger received minor injuries. The pilot accumulated a total flight time of 30 hours in lighter-than-air aircraft, of which 15 hours were in the accident make and model. He last performed a "pilot light failure" emergency procedure about 5 months prior to the accident flight.
Factual narrative
The pilot and passenger departed on a personal flight and flew for 30-40 minutes during which the pilot performed a simulated "pilot light failure" emergency procedure. The pilot performed the simulation so as to "teach" the passenger the procedure. The pilot light was reportedly not extinguished during or after the simulation. Following the simulation, the pilot began a stair step climb for the approach to a landing area during which the pilot light extinguished at the last stop of the climb. The pilot said he had three sources of ignition aboard: a flint spark provided by the balloon manufacturer, a grill lighter, and a wind proof grill lighter. He could not relight the pilot light after three attempts, and also attempted to light fuel from the whisper and blast valves. The pilot stated that fuel emanated from these valves during the relight attempts. There was about 25 gallons of fuel remaining at the time of the accident. The pilot then pulled the "red line or deflation line" to deflate the balloon. The balloon descended into 180 foot high power lines and caught fire, which consumed the basket and envelope. The pilot was uninjured, and the passenger received minor injuries. The pilot accumulated a total flight time of 30 hours in lighter than air aircraft of which 15 hours were in the accident make and model. He last performed a "pilot light failure" emergency procedure about 5 months prior to the accident flight. The burner was reported as part number CB391A, serial number 371 The master tank was reported as part number CB 250A, serial number 409595 The basket was reported as part number CB 301B-3, serial number 7036 7036
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7524J
- Reported as
- Cameron Balloons V-77
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 5837
- Airframe hours
- 314
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pilot
- Registered owner
- Pending
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 6, 2008
- Departed
- HUF · Terre Haute, IN
- Destination
- Terre Haute, IN
- Airport
- HUF · Terre Haute International Airp
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
- 20
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 275 total · 15 in this make and model · 195 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.