- Date
- October 1, 1995, 18:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Baton Rouge, LA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N63286Aerostar S60A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19951001030729A
- Case key
- 19677
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 failure to compensate for wind conditions and maintain adequate clearance from the power lines during the approach. A factor was the sudden wind gust.
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
After an uneventful flight, the balloon pilot commenced an approach to land in a field located between power lines and an apartment complex. According to the pilot, she 'passed over the power lines', and about 20 feet prior to touch down, a 'sudden, strong gust of wind' pushed the balloon 'downward and backward.' Subsequently, the envelope contacted the power lines that she had just passed over, and the basket contacted the ground. After contacting the ground, the balloon began to slide sideways and contacted another power line.
Factual narrative
On October 1, 1995, at 1845 central daylight time, an Aerostar S60A balloon, N63286, was substantially damaged during an approach to land in a field near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The balloon, owned by the pilot, was being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The personal flight was participating in a local ballooning event. A flight plan was not filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
In an interview, the pilot stated that she commenced an approach to land in a field located between power lines and an apartment complex. During the approach, she "passed over the power lines", and about 20 feet prior to touch down, a "sudden, strong gust of wind" pushed the balloon "downward and backward." Subsequently, the envelope contacted the power lines that she had "passed over", and the basket contacted the ground. She further stated that, after contacting the ground, the balloon began to slide sideways and contacted another power line.
Examination of the balloon revealed arcing on the basket attaching cables and a torn envelope.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N63286
- Reported as
- Aerostar S60A
- Category
- Balloon
- Airframe hours
- 112
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gale M. Smith
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 2, 1995 · 26 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Unknown
- Flight hours
- 120 total · 116 in this make and model · 104 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 95° at 6 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N63286 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.