- Date
- July 11, 1983, 07:45 local (12:45 UTC)
- Place
- Azle, TX
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N99USPiccard AX-6
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830711038689A
- Case key
- 20747
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
During a landing in light wind conditions, the balloon touched down beside a power line. After touchdown, the balloon envelope collapsed over the power line which carried 7200 volts. The voltage traveled to the basket/gondola which overturned on the grass surface. The plt & 1 passenger were fatally injured due to cardiac arrest from electrocution. The balloon was damaged from high voltage discharge to ground, flash burns & scorching. Also, a small grass fire was started but was extinguished by personnel at the accident site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N99US
- Reported as
- Piccard AX-6
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 699 483-1
- Engine
- None, unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard C. Conn
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · July 31, 1982
- Departed
- TX · Aledo, 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
- 36
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 374 total · 374 in this make and model · 31 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 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.
Other investigations on N99US · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.