- Date
- October 3, 1987, 09:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Carefree, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 6 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1600PAvian Balloon Magnum IX
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 8, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871003058449A
- Case key
- 25876
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
During the first takeoff attempt, a small portion of the balloon envelope caught fire and was quickly extinguished. The second takeoff attempt was successful. One passenger on the balloon said that the flight was very erratic ranging in altitude from 10 feet AGL to 1000 feet AGL. The balloon envelope partially collapsed in turbulent weather and went into an uncontrolled descent. The balloon basket collided with the terrain and four of the seven occupants fell out. The balloon shot into the air, descended, and collided with the terrain again. The pilot collapsed the envelope as the balloon skidded across the ground. Winds were reported to be from 090 degrees at 09 knots gusting to 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1600P
- Reported as
- Avian Balloon Magnum IX
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 135
- Airframe hours
- 38
- Engine
- unknown UNK, unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Rainbow Balloon Flights
- Registered owner
- Criley, Shirley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Carefree, AZ
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
- 67
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Flight hours
- 566 total · 81 in this make and model · 522 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PHX, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.