- Date
- August 4, 2022, 07:50 local (12:50 UTC)
- Place
- Indianola, IA · SW of the Balloon Launch Field
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N801UMUltramagic M56C
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20220804018939A
- Case key
- 105681
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 failure to maintain adequate clearance from powerlines.
Findings · 1
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 pilot reported that he was participating in a balloon event that consisted of dropping markers on targets at various locations. While approaching the final target, he crossed some trees about 200 ft above ground level (agl) in a descent. After crossing the trees, when the balloon was about 20 ft agl, he heard someone announce “powerline” over his crew radio and saw approaching powerlines above his line of sight. He immediately pulled his deflation line and shut off the fuel tanks. The balloon subsequently contacted the powerlines, which resulted in electrical arcing and the basket impacted the ground. The balloon sustained substantial damage to the envelope and the basket. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N801UM
- Reported as
- Ultramagic M56C
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- .56/64
- Built
- 2019
- Airframe hours
- 57
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · April 26, 2022
- Departed
- KDSM · Des Moines, IA
- Destination
- KDSM · Des Moines, IA
- Airport
- N/A
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Last flight review
- July 31, 2021
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 1,727 total · 6 in this make and model · 1,600 as pilot in command · 14.25 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1.25 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 8 knots
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KDSM, 26 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KDSM 041254Z 03008KT 10SM FEW300 21/16 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP161 T02060156=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 6, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.