- Date
- May 5, 1985, 08:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Collins, CO
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 9 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4199GRaven S77A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850505017639A
- Case key
- 16671
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 balloon basket containing 8 pass'g & 2 crewmembers brushed alongside a fence during lndg. One pass'g who had been jostled by the landing became a victim of 1ACERATIONS & a broken arm from contact with barbed wire fence. The plt stated that the wind was gusting and shifted directions just before touchdown which drifted the balloon toward the fence. The wind was 180 degrees at 10 KTS, gusting to 15 KTS. The plt stated that he tried to climb over the fence, but the balloons response was too slow. This led to the victims injuuies by being caught between fence anc basket. The evluation of the wx before take off showed the wx stable enough for inflation & takeoff. No mention was made of potential for lndg. Immediately after takeoff the balloon was drifting north at 15 mph. This speed did not decrease as the acft descended for lndg after about 45 minutes of free flt. The plt had about 25 flt hrs in this make & model of balloon of which 2 was dual (instructional).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4199G
- Reported as
- Raven S77A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 577A-103
- Airframe hours
- 131
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Circle Crest Enterprises, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1984 · 69 hours before
- Departed
- Fort Collins, CO
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
- 23
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.