- Date
- September 28, 1986, 09:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Durango, CO
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2346HBarnes AX-7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860928072199A
- Case key
- 17057
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.
In flight collision with object
Terrain condition - high obstruction(s)Factor
In-flight planning/decision - improperCause
Visual lookout - inadequateCause
Clearance - not maintainedCause
In flight collision with terrain/water
Analysis
While flying low level inside a river gorge at 200-300 feet above the water, the balloon impacted a power line and fell into the river.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2346H
- Reported as
- Barnes AX-7
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 7723
- Airframe hours
- 343
- Engine
- unknown UNK, unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Douglas F. Foutz
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 3, 1986
N2346HRegistration cancelled Jul 18, 2011 · Balloon Works FIREFLY 7Airframe modelBalloon Works FIREFLY 7Engine modelNONE
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Flight hours
- 531 total · 512 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots, gusting 7
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.