- Date
- April 28, 2001, 08:41 local (14:41 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N40555Raven S55A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 19, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20010428011079A
- Case key
- 52163
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 a visual lookout during approach. A contributing factor was the power lines.
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 pilot was approaching to land the balloon in an open field. The pilot stated that she was "aware that there were power lines to the right," and she made altitude adjustments to maintain clearance. The pilot did not see additional power lines in the area until just before impact. The basket uprights contacted the wires. She opened the emergency dump valve and ventilated the envelope. The envelope became entangled in the power lines and was cut be in two. The basket then dropped approximately 30 to 40 feet. The broken power lines fell to the ground and burned a hole into the cement sidewalk.
Factual narrative
On April 28, 2001, at 0841 mountain daylight time, a Raven S55A hot air balloon, N40555, was substantially damaged when it struck power lines while landing in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, approximately 0800.
The pilot was approaching to land in an open field. The pilot stated that she was "aware that there were power lines to the right," and she made altitude adjustments to maintain clearance. The pilot did not see additional power lines in the area until just before impact. The basket uprights contacted the wires. She opened the emergency dump valve and ventilated the envelope. The envelope draped over the power lines and was cut in two. The basket then dropped approximately 30 to 40 feet. The broken power lines fell to the ground and burned a hole into the cement sidewalk.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40555
- Reported as
- Raven S55A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- S55A-859
- Airframe hours
- 532
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Connie L. Pohlmeyer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 10, 2001 · 527 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- NONE · Albuquerque, NM
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- August 24, 1999
- Flight hours
- 38 total · 5 in this make and model · 22 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- ABQ
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.