- Date
- May 8, 1982, 12:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Fountain Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 2 minor; on the ground: 1 serious
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- GBJZCThunder Balloons LTD.
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 8, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 70732
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 stated the balloon was inflated and established weigh-off procedures were conducted. At the end of the weight-off procedure, as the balloon was being walked by the ground handlers, an increase in wind velocity caused the basket to be pulled free from their grasp. The balloons gondola was dragged across the ground for about 100 yards, collided with a portable stage, went up and over the roof of the stage, and collided with a tow truck causing a passenger to fall out before becoming airborne. It successfully landed about 13 miles north of the takeoff site. A national weather service forcaster at the site stated that winds were 180 degrees at 7 mph with gusts to 10 mph at 5 feet above the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- GBJZC
- Reported as
- Thunder Balloons LTD.
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 416
- Airframe hours
- 13
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Greenpeace
- Registered owner
- Greenpeace
- Departed
- Fountain Valley, CA
- Destination
- Fountain Valley, CA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Unknown
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 153 °F