- Date
- July 14, 1991, 08:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- Avon, CO
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N57053Aerostar S57-A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910714027169A
- Case key
- 18112
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. A factor was: the pilot's attention being diverted.
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 pilot was looking for a suitable place to land. His attention was diverted by persons on the ground and radio communications with the chase crew. When he looked up, he saw powerlines directly ahead. He pulled the deflation line and told his passengers to get to the bottom of the basket. The balloon contacted the powerlines, igniting skirt panels and dripping melted fabric on the occupants.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N57053
- Reported as
- Aerostar S57-A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- SS73052
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Roland L. & Ruth B. Elkins
- Registered owner
- Roland L. & Ruth B. Elkins
- Departed
- Avon, 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Flight hours
- 429 total · 214 in this make and model · 421 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 43 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.