- Date
- March 3, 1996, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Vidalia, LA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 4 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N6374LAerostar Raven S49A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960303046259A
- Case key
- 19778
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-in-command's inadequate supervision of the ground crewmember.
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 inflation of the hot air balloon, a ground crewmember received serious injury when the handling rope he was holding became entangled in the inflation fan. Review of the manufacturer's flight manual revealed that it contained the following cautionary statement: 'Keep burner skirt handling lines, other balloon components, and personnel clear of the inflation fan to prevent entanglement with the propeller.'
Factual narrative
On March 3, 1996, at 1730 central standard time, an Aerostar Raven S49A, N6374L, registered to and operated by the Geronimo Corporation, was being inflated near Vidalia, Louisiana, when one of the ground crewmembers received serious injury. The private pilot and three other ground crewmembers were not injured and the balloon was not damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the planned personal local flight conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, the crewmember stationed at the left side of the balloon, near the inflation fan, was holding onto the handling ropes during the cold inflation. As the pilot prepared to ignite the burner and continue the inflation process, she heard "a loud noise" and the crewmember fell toward her. The pilot saw that the handling rope was "wrapped around" the crewmember's thumb which was "bound against the fan cage." The rope was cut to free the crewmember and he was transported to a hospital where his glove was removed and it was discovered that his left thumb had been severed.
Review of the manufacturer's flight manual for the balloon revealed that it contained the following cautionary statement: "Keep burner skirt handling lines, other balloon components, and personnel clear of the inflation fan to prevent entanglement with the propeller." The pilot reported that she had checked to see if the crewmember "was wearing any loose clothing that could be dangerous if he happened to go near the fan."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6374L
- Reported as
- Aerostar Raven S49A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- S49A-3110
- Airframe hours
- 180
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Geronimo Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 8, 1996 · 0 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
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 31 total · 31 in this make and model · 6 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 5 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.