- Date
- July 31, 1988, 07:05 local (14:05 UTC)
- Place
- Sun City, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1183RRaven RX-6
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880731028339A
- Case key
- 26072
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 & pax departed on a local area balloon flt. After 30 minutes the pilot began a descent to an open feild north of some power lines. During the descent the balloon began to drift to the right and the pilot realized that his ground crew did not have access to the field. The pilot then elected to land to the south of the power lines. However, when the balloon was 5-7 ft north of the power lines the plt realized that he might contact the wires. He applied full burner, but to no avail; the balloon's gondala struck the power lines.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1183R
- Reported as
- Raven RX-6
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- RX6 237
- Airframe hours
- 327
- Engine
- Unknown UNKNOWN, unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mathew W. Norwood
- Registered owner
- Norwood, Mathew
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 2, 1987 · 13 hours before
- Airport
- HMT · Field
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Private
- Flight hours
- 62 total · 45 in this make and model · 53 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 1 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RIV, 12 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.