- Date
- April 20, 1980
- Place
- Hurricane, WV · HURRICANE, WV
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N40452Balloon WKS AX-7
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 1980
- Report
- Brief approved by the director
- FAA report
- 19800420010779A
- Case key
- 130509
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
NTSB brief
NTSB’s brief of the accident, as it was printed: the coded facts, with the probable cause and factors.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FILE DATE LOCATION AIRCRAFT DATA INJURIES FLIGHT PILOT DATA F S M/N PURPOSE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3-2256 80/4/20 HURRICANE,WV BALLOON WKS AX-7 CR- 1 0 0 NONCOMMERCIAL STUDENT, AGE 30, 13 TOTAL TIME - 1140 N40452 PX- 2 0 0 PLEASURE/PERSONAL TRANSP HOURS, ALL IN TYPE, NOT DAMAGE-SUBSTANTIAL OT- 0 0 0 INSTRUMENT RATED. DEPARTURE POINT INTENDED DESTINATION MILTON,WV LOCAL TYPE OF ACCIDENT PHASE OF OPERATION AIRFRAME FAILURE: IN FLIGHT IN FLIGHT: NORMAL CRUISE PROBABLE CAUSE(S) PILOT IN COMMAND - FAILED TO FOLLOW APPROVED PROCEDURES,DIRECTIVES,ETC. AIRFRAME - FUSELAGE: OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ACTS,CONDITIONS - PREVIOUS DAMAGE WEATHER - ADVERSE WINDS ALOFT FACTOR(S) PILOT IN COMMAND - LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH AIRCRAFT PERSONNEL - PRODUCTION-DESIGN-PERSONNEL: POOR/INADEQUATE DESIGN PERSONNEL - FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF FLIGHT PERSONNEL - MAINTENANCE,SERVICING,INSPECTION: INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION WEATHER - TURBULENCE IN FLIGHT,CLEAR AIR WEATHER BRIEFING - NO RECORD OF BRIEFING RECEIVED WEATHER FORECAST - UNKNOWN/NOT REPORTED SKY CONDITION CEILING AT ACCIDENT SITE CLEAR UNLIMITED VISIBILITY AT ACCIDENT SITE PRECIPITATION AT ACCIDENT SITE 5 OR OVER(UNLIMITED) NONE OBSTRUCTIONS TO VISION AT ACCIDENT SITE TEMPERATURE-F NONE 74 WIND DIRECTION-DEGREES WIND VELOCITY-KNOTS 280 12 TYPE OF WEATHER CONDITIONS TYPE OF FLIGHT PLAN VFR NONE REMARKS- WEAK FABRIC AT PANEL SEAM.TORE VERT ACROSS SEVERAL PANEL SEAMS.ENVELOPE COLLAPSED.STRONG GUSTS.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40452
- Reported as
- Balloon WKS AX-7
- Category
- Balloon
- Engine
- none
- Damage
- Substantial damage
N40452Registration cancelled Nov 15, 2012 · Balloon Works FIREFLY 7Airframe modelBalloon Works FIREFLY 7
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.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.