- Date
- March 10, 1984, 09:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6081LEagle Balloons Eagle C-7
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840310007319A
- Case key
- 21280
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
The plt stated that the wx at the accident site was scattered clouds between 150-650 ft AGL with a definite ceiling at 650 ft (broken). Visibility was 1 mi with rapidly forming fog layer. The plt descended with the intention of landing as soon as possible. He saw the powerlines & immediately pulled the pressure top & contacted the ground about 150 ft from the powerlines. However, the balloon dragged about 80 ft & the pyrometer wire on top of the envelope contacted the lowest powerline. A path to ground was made through the pyrometer cable/lines, upright lines, fuel tank & support cables. The instantaneous charge (to ground) split the envelope down the pyrometer wire, blew converting pins out of theburner & upright supports, & sent the high voltage/current flow into the basket.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6081L
- Reported as
- Eagle Balloons Eagle C-7
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- E82733
- Airframe hours
- 94
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- A.K. Muir
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
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
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 952 total · 42 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 45° at 10 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft broken
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.