- Date
- April 16, 1989, 09:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Troy, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4510HHead Balloons AX8-88
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890416008039A
- Case key
- 22767
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot, and inadequate supervision by the check pilot, which resulted in their failure to maintain clearance from the tree during the landing. Factors related to the accident were: the high wind & tree(s).
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 plts took off on a check flt in a 10 to 12 mph wind with gusts to 15 mph. A wx forecast indicated there would be higher winds as the morning progressed. During an apch to land, the plt-in-command (PIC) was unable to establish a normal apch angle. He over vented, then over burned to compensate. Subsequently, the gondola collided with a tree and the PIC was ejected. Both of the pilot lights for the burner went out. The check pilot remained in the gondola as it rose to 300 feet. Subsequently the balloon touched down in a thermal descent of 1200 to 1400 ft/min. The PIC received minor injuries & the check plt received serious injuries.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4510H
- Reported as
- Head Balloons AX8-88
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 153
- Airframe hours
- 6
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Terrell W. Hendrix
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 22, 1988 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Temple, 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
- 48
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Flight hours
- 630 total · 600 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TPL, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.