- Date
- May 1, 1993, 18:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Bentonville, AR
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N6465KRaven S-55A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930501011389A
- Case key
- 18741
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
Aircraft control was not maintained by the pilot. A factor was unfavorable winds
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 pilot reported that the wind picked up the balloon and dragged it into a barbed wire fence while the balloon was being deflated after landing. Winds in the area were reported from the south at 9 knots
Factual narrative
On May 1, 1993, at approximately 1845 central daylight time, during landing near Bentonville, Arkansas, a Raven S 55A, N6465K, was substantially damaged when it impacted a fence. The pilot and two passengers did not sustain injury. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the business flight.
The pilot reported to the Fayetteville Flight Service Station that he had departed approximately one mile west of Rogers, Arkansas, for a local flight at approximately 1745. He further reported that the "wind picked up the balloon and dragged it into a barbed wire fence." The flight service station reported the winds from the south at nine knots.
The pilot reported to the Safety Board that a "gust of wind hit the balloon blowing the envelope into a wire fence" while the balloon was being deflated.
The balloon was released to the owner following the investigation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6465K
- Reported as
- Raven S-55A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- S55A-3022
- Airframe hours
- 252
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Dietz, Edward K.
- Registered owner
- Dietz, Edward K.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1992 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Rogers, AR
- 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
- 36
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Unknown
- Flight hours
- 218 total · 149 in this make and model · 207 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FYV, 25 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.