- Date
- March 3, 1990, 09:10 local (16:10 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N364CBCameron O-105
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 2, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900303003009A
- Case key
- 26749
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Improper modification of the balloon's fuel/heater system by the owner/operator and failure of the fuel line connection, which resulted in a fuel system leak and gondola (basket) fire.
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
After 30 min of flt, the plt lndd the balloon in a desert area. The chase crew was unable to reach the area, so the plt elected to fly the balloon & psgrs to an accessible area. Moments after lift-off, a fuel line connection failed & a fire erupted. The pilot told the psgrs to jump; 1 psgr jumped (or fell) from a relatively high altitude & was fatally injured. An exam of the balloon remains revealed the fuel sys was modified to a configuration that was not approved by either the FAA or the manufacturer. Only two fuel tanks were originally approved for this balloon; four fuel tanks were installed & two others were loose in the basket. The fuel manifolds for the installed tanks were of an unknown design & origin with hoses & fittings that did not meet factory specifications.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N364CB
- Reported as
- Cameron O-105
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 603
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lynn Kennelly
- Departed
- NONE
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
- 46
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Flight hours
- 1,589 total · 25 in this make and model · 1,510 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.