- Date
- March 26, 1988, 09:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Injuries
- 8 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1601DAvian Magnum IX
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880326006479A
- Case key
- 25970
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 a local flight in a hot air balloon, while descending, the deflation line malfunctioned. It was found that the release pulley had no roller and the rope was knotted and jammed in the pulley. The vent could not be activated in this condition.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1601D
- Reported as
- Avian Magnum IX
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 136
- Airframe hours
- 90
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- American Hot Airlines, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 21, 1987 · 90 hours before
- Departed
- Phoenix, 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Flight hours
- 137 total · 17 in this make and model · 115 as pilot in command · 43 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PHX
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.