- Date
- January 11, 2022, 15:46 local (20:46 UTC)
- Place
- Louisville, KY · Papa John's HQ parking lot
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N377LXLindstrand Balloons 60X
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20220111002779A
- Case key
- 104657
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 applicant’s delayed reaction to the balloon's increased rate of descent, which resulted in impact with a light pole.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
During a descent to perform contour flying for a practical test, the pilot applicant vented the balloon. When it began to level off too high, he vented it again and the balloon began a descent he described as “faster than (he) expected.” The designated pilot examiner (DPE) called for a burn and the pilot applicant “gave a short burn” with one burner. The DPE, recognizing that the burn was insufficient to arrest the balloon’s descent, called for another burn while simultaneously grabbing the other burner. The balloon started to ascend and when the DPE realized that the basket was going to strike a light pole, he removed his hand from the burner and called for the pilot applicant to do the same; however, the pilot applicant did not remove his hand from the burner. When the basket impacted the pole, the load tapes sustained burn and heat damage. The DPE assumed control and flew them to an uneventful landing. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N377LX
- Reported as
- Lindstrand Balloons 60X
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 5357
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 238.2
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Prestigious Promotions LLC
- Registered owner
- Prestigious Promotions LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2021
- Departed
- Louisville, KY
- Destination
- Louisville, KY
- Equipment
- 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Check pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 15, 2021
- Seat
- None
- Flight hours
- 14,480 total · 220 in this make and model · 10,290 as pilot in command · 146 in the last 90 days · 53 in the last 30 days · 6.4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 28.9 total · 0 in this make and model · 8.7 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.46 inHg
- Observed at
- SDF, 10 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KSDF 112056Z 21006KT 10SM CLR 03/M12 A3046 RMK AO2 SLP318 T00331117 56029=
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 26, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 20.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.