- Date
- August 4, 1991, 08:20 local (13:20 UTC)
- Place
- Indianola, IA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3621XAerostar Raven 557A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910804031299A
- Case key
- 15141
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain altitude. Factors associated with the accident are complacency and diverted attention.
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 accident balloon collided with powerlines while competing in an annual balloon competition. According to the pilot the balloon began to descend in close proximity to the powerlines. The basket struck the powerlines as he attempted to use the burner to climb over them.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3621X
- Reported as
- Aerostar Raven 557A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 557A-3083
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Freedom Flight Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Flight hours
- 149 total · 149 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Observed at
- DSM, 15 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.