- Date
- June 26, 1999, 06:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Prescott Valley, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6426KAerostar Rally RX-7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 14, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990626022359A
- Case key
- 46682
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
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout and subsequent failure to maintain adequate clearance with the wires.
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 reported that she was flying the lead balloon in a group of 22 balloons. She took off and climbed to approximately 1,000 feet agl, flying a south-to-north route. She stated that the surface winds were from the south about 3 knots. The pilot reported that she selected a landing site and descended to a lower altitude to set up her approach. A ground crewmember checked the surface winds with a windmeter and reported that they were from the south at 2.5 knots. The pilot flew over a residential area and descended again after clearing the last house. She reported that she checked carefully for power lines and poles. She vented the balloon to descend, reached for the rip line, and suddenly saw a power line outlined against the sky. She reported that the power lines arced and cut the cables that connect the balloon to the basket. The basket separated and fell about 20 feet to the ground. The power lines remained intact. The pilot reported that she had not experienced any problems with the balloon prior to impacting the power lines.
Factual narrative
On June 26, 1999, at 0645 hours mountain standard time, an Aerostar Rally RX-7, N6426K, fell to the ground after colliding with power lines near Prescott Valley, Arizona. The hot air balloon, owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot was not injured; however, the passenger suffered serious injuries. The local area personal flight originated from Prescott Valley about 0615, and was conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that she was flying the lead balloon in a group of 22 balloons. She took off and climbed to approximately 1,000 feet agl, flying a south-to-north route. She stated that the surface winds were from the south about 3 knots. The pilot reported that she selected a landing site and descended to a lower altitude to set up her approach. A ground crewmember checked the surface winds with a windmeter and reported that they were from the south at 2.5 knots. The pilot flew over a residential area and descended again after clearing the last house. She reported that she checked carefully for power lines and poles. She vented the balloon to descend, reached for the rip line, and suddenly saw a power line outlined against the sky. She reported that the power lines arced and cut the cables that connect the balloon to the basket. The basket separated and fell about 20 feet to the ground. The power lines remained intact.
The pilot reported that she had not experienced any problems with the balloon prior to impacting the power lines.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6426K
- Reported as
- Aerostar Rally RX-7
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- RX7-3051
- Airframe hours
- 467
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Phillip & Sally Heinrich
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 27, 1998 · 83 hours before
- Departed
- 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Flight hours
- 233 total · 133 in this make and model · 202 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PRC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.