- Date
- April 22, 2017, 08:40 local (14:40 UTC)
- Place
- Park City, UT
- Injuries
- 9 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N245DKBalony Kubicek Spol Sro BB70Z
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 20, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170422003429A
- Case key
- 95121
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 see and avoid power lines during landing.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that the wind shifted before departure and that, although this would result in the balloon travelling to an area with "limited landing opportunities," he chose to continue the departure. During landing, the balloon descended to about 20 to 30 ft above the ground, and the landing area was on a hillside that had a commercial building on the top and that, at the base of the hill, was a short pole with guy wires. He did not see any other poles, so he "focused" on the intended landing site. As the balloon approached the landing site, a passenger asked, "if we would hit that power line?" He looked up and saw two power lines above and forward of the balloon's path, and he immediately vented the balloon to land and stop its forward progress. The balloon collided with the power lines and settled to the ground. The balloon sustained substantial damage to 3 of its 24 cables that attach the envelope to the basket. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the wind shifted before departure and the balloon would travel to an area with "limited landing opportunities", but he elected to continue the departure. During landing, the balloon descended to approximately 20-30 ft. above the ground, and the landing area was on a dry hillside just past a wetland. He added that the hillside had a commercial building on the top, and at the base of the hill was a short pole with guy-wires. He did not see any other poles, so he "focused" on the intended landing site. As the balloon approached the landing site, a passenger asked, "if we would hit that powerline?" He looked up and saw two powerlines above and forward of the balloon's path, and he immediately vented the balloon to land and stop their forward progress. The balloon collided with the powerlines and settled to the ground. The balloon sustained substantial damage to 3 of its 24 cables that attach the envelope to the basket. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N245DK
- Reported as
- Balony Kubicek Spol Sro BB70Z (60)
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 817
- Built
- 2011
- Engine
- none
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Destination
- Park City, UT
- Equipment
- 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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- June 16, 2015
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 1,642 total · 327 in this make and model · 1,606 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- KSLC, 18 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 26, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.