- Date
- October 6, 1990, 10:32 local (16:32 UTC)
- Place
- Bernalillo, NM
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4062HRaven S-55A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901006044229A
- Case key
- 18045
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 to maintain adequate visual lookout, resulting in an inflight collision with 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 private pilot and a passenger were drifting with the wind during a balloon fiesta. Witnesses said the balloon struck power lines about 100 feet above the ground, and burst into flames. The chase crew said one of the men tried to slide down a rope but lost his grip and fell to the terrain. The witnesses said the other man grabbed the power line and held on for a short time, then fell to the terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4062H
- Reported as
- Raven S-55A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- S55A-864
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Stephen M. Fallacy
- Departed
- NONE · Albuquerque, NM
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Unknown
- Flight hours
- 200 total · 50 in this make and model · 175 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- ABQ, 20 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.