- Date
- June 23, 1984, 20:05 local (Jun 24, 1984, 01:05 UTC)
- Place
- Batavia, IL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4048FBarnes AX-7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840623033669A
- Case key
- 12675
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
The plt received a wx briefing before the flt. The 1950 surface observation reported winds from 090 deg at 4 KTS. During flt, the winds suddenly picked up & the plt attempted a landing. A rapid rate of descent developed & the balloon collided with trees before the descent rate could be corrected. The 2008 special observation reported winds from 350 deg at 15 KTS gusting 25 KTS.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4048F
- Reported as
- Barnes AX-7
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 7914
- Airframe hours
- 94
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John T. Corsten
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 27, 1984
- Departed
- Geneva, IL
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
- 43
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 94 in this make and model · 94 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 350° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DPA, 6 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.