- Date
- June 13, 1992, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Rio Rancho, NM
- Injuries
- 2 serious; on the ground: 1 serious
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N5355MFantasy Sky Promotions AX-7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920613021619A
- Case key
- 18323
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's improper inspection of the balloon following removal of two of the fuel tanks which resulted in vented fuel due to a fuel line being left loose and a fuel valve locked open.
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 balloon experienced a flash fire during inflation prior to tethered flight. Investigation revealed that the pilot had removed two of the four fuel tanks prior to the operation. It was also determined that one of the secondary fuel lines was loose and laying uncapped in the bottom of the basket and the secondary blast valve was found locked in the open position. A functional check of the fuel system, using inert gas, revealed that with the secondary valve locked open, fuel would vent out of the loose line when the primary blast valve was activated.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5355M
- Reported as
- Fantasy Sky Promotions AX-7
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 027
- Airframe hours
- 286
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- David W. Schuetz
- Registered owner
- Braden Fantasy Aloft, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 2, 1992 · 21 hours before
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
- Private, Commercial
- Flight hours
- 157 total · 157 in this make and model · 120 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots, gusting 8
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.