- Date
- July 31, 2008, 08:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cook, MN
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3106KHead Balloons AX9-118
- Defining event
- Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Minneapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080731843239A
- Case key
- 68673
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 decision to land in a confined area. Contributing to the accident were the hidden power transmission lines and the confined landing site.
Findings · 4
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
After a 15-20 minute balloon flight, the pilot began to look for a suitable landing area. The selected landing area was a road within a heavily wooded area. The pilot said that he did not see the power transmission lines that were hidden in the tree line alongside the road. During the landing, the surface winds blew the balloon envelope "in close proximity to the wires." According to the pilot, about five minutes after landing the balloon envelope lost enough hot air that it deflated on lines and caught on fire. An eyewitness reported seeing the balloon flying low over the forested area and then very thick black smoke. The pilot told local law enforcement that the balloon envelope contacted the power transmission lines before the basket touched-down. The law enforcement accident report stated that there was a "small showering of sparks and a very small flame" when the balloon envelope came in contact with the power lines. The balloon envelope was destroyed by the ensuing fire.
Factual narrative
After a 15-20 minute balloon flight, the pilot began to look for a suitable landing area. The selected landing area was a road within a heavily wooded area. The pilot said that he did not see the power transmission lines that were hidden in the tree line alongside the road. During the landing, the surface winds blew the balloon envelope "in close proximity to the wires." According to the pilot, about five minutes after landing the balloon envelope lost enough hot air that it deflated on lines and caught on fire. An eyewitness reported seeing the balloon flying low over the forested area and then very thick black smoke. The pilot told local law enforcement that the balloon envelope contacted the power transmission lines before the basket touched-down. The law enforcement accident report stated that there was a "small showering of sparks and a very small flame" when the balloon envelope came in contact with the power lines. The balloon envelope was destroyed by the ensuing fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3106K
- Reported as
- Head Balloons AX9-118
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 292
- Airframe hours
- 220
- Engine
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2007
- Departed
- Lake Vermilion, MN
- Destination
- Cook, MN
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2007
- Flight hours
- 13,000 total · 800 in this make and model · 11,200 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.78 inHg
- Observed at
- CQM, 8 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.