- Date
- April 3, 1982, 09:20 local (15:20 UTC)
- Place
- Masterson, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1524UBalloon Works 7-B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 3, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820403012769A
- Case key
- 71606
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
After making weather observations and obtaining a weather briefing, the instructor pilot (ip) briefed the chase crew of the expected northerly track. The ip and student took off at 0705 CST and ascended to 1200 to 15000 ft AGL and began tracking north-northwest. After several antennas were noted downwind, an ascent was made to 3200 ft AGL and the balloon moved easterly. After descending, it tracked due north. The balloon proceeded into an area of unfavorable terrain with no east-west roads. Also, the sky condition became hazy and the ip believed the chase crew would have difficulty following; therefore, they continued for a recovery near a major road. Meanwhile, the wind picked up to 20 mph. At about 0920, a landing was made near a highway in an area covered with mesquite. During the landing, contact was made with several of the mesquite, a fence, and the ground. The envelope also brushed against a power line. The student was injured during the landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1524U
- Reported as
- Balloon Works 7-B
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 10311
- Airframe hours
- 43
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Don Elwell, Jr.
- Registered owner
- Don Elwell, Jr.
- Departed
- Amarillo, TX
- Destination
- Amarillo, TX
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
- 37
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 43 total · 43 in this make and model · 30 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 124 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.