- Date
- August 8, 1992, 19:13 local (Aug 9, 1992, 00:13 UTC)
- Place
- Mesquite, TX
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9544GCameron V-77
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920808029749A
- Case key
- 18370
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 failure of the pilot to maintain clearance from known obstacles.
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 local area flight the balloon contacted electrical power lines while maneuvering at low altitude. The balloon became entangled in the electrical power lines causing arcing to take place in and around the basket area. While the pilot was attempting to extricate the balloon from the wires the basket separated from the balloon and fell 65 feet to a paved area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9544G
- Reported as
- Cameron V-77
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 5568
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Holmes, Larry A.
- Registered owner
- Holmes, Larry A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 19, 1988
- Destination
- NONE
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 160 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.