# NTSB NYC01LA150: Raven S60A, N28282, Mumford, NY, June 9, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 9, 2001, 19:45 local (23:45 UTC) - Place: Mumford, NY - Coordinates: 43.149433, -77.649963 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.1494&lon=-77.6500&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 4 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report September 6, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 52543 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC01LA150 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/52543/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC01LA150 ## Probable cause The ground handler's failure to follow instructions to release her line during the balloon's unintended ascent, due to panic. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Miscellaneous/other, takeoff - panic, ground personnel (cause) - procedures/directives - not followed, ground personnel (cause) ## Analysis While the balloon was aloft in tethered flight, it was caught by a gust of wind, and began to descend rapidly. The pilot added heat to slow the descent, and once the basket contacted the ground, ground crew handlers grabbed handling lines to hold it down. The basket bounced, and the balloon began to ascend. One handler shouted to let go, and two of the three handlers released the basket. A third handler reported that she became "very scared, and froze" on her line. She continued to hold on until she lost her grip when the basket was 15-20 feet in the air. Upon hitting the ground, she suffered a broken leg. ## Factual narrative On June 9, 2001, about 1945 Eastern Daylight Time, a Raven S60A balloon, N28282, received minor damage during a tethered flight in Mumford, New York. The certificated commercial pilot and three passengers were not injured, but one ground crewman was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the local personal flight, which was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the pilot, he was giving passenger rides during a private event at the Genesee Country Museum. The pilot obtained a weather briefing about 1600, and arrived at the museum site about 1630. He inflated the balloon, and by 1715, had completed several liftoffs and landings. However, because wind conditions were unfavorable at the time, the balloon was deflated. About 1900, when the pilot observed that the wind had diminished to 4-5 mph, the balloon was reinflated, and tethered flight began. The balloon was tethered to two vehicles on the ground, with a third line manned by a ground crew. The pilot initially ascended the balloon to 50-75 feet to verify attachment of the tether lines, then landed, and began conducting passenger flights. About 1945, while the balloon was aloft, winds increased, and the balloon began to descend rapidly. The pilot added heat to slow the descent, and once the basket contacted the ground, ground crew handlers grabbed the basket handling lines to hold it down. The basket bounced, and the balloon then began to ascend. One handler shouted to let go, and two of the three handlers released the basket. A third handler continued to hold on until she lost her grip, when the basket was about 15-20 feet in the air. Upon hitting the ground, she suffered a broken leg. The handler who was injured stated that when a wind gust hit the balloon, one of the two vehicles it was tethered to moved about 3 feet. The pilot landed the balloon, and as she and the other two handlers grabbed the basket, it began to rise again. She heard one of the other handlers shout to let go; however, she "got very scared and froze." She tried to maintain her hold as the balloon ascended, but was wearing work gloves, and lost her grip. She remembered looking down as she fell, and remembered hitting the ground. In addition to the injury to the ground handler, the non-load-bearing 3-foot high balloon skirt was blown into the burner flame sometime between the wind gust and the final landing (witness recollections differ). Approximately 50 percent of the nylon material was melted. Weather, recorded at an airport approximately 20 miles to the north about the time of the accident, included winds from 290 degrees true, at 4 knots. Weather recorded 1 hour prior and 1 hour later included winds at 9 knots. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N28282](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N28282), registered now, S/N S60A-3008, built 1986 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Raven S60A - Registry model: [Aerostar International S-60A](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerostar-international-s-60a) (registry code 7486060) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Balloon - Serial number: S60A-3008 - Airframe hours: 186 - Damage: Minor damage - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Richard Reichhart - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, August 12, 2000, 5 hours before - Departed: NONE, Mumford, NY - Airport: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 52; injuries: none; commercial; last flight review September 5, 1999; flight hours: 381 total, 381 as pilot in command, 1 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 290° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 22,000 ft broken - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 46 °F - Altimeter: 29.87 inHg - Observed at: ROC, 20 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20010609017679A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010609017679A), Jun 9, 2001: Raven S60A, Mumford, NY, No damage. (-23) On June 9, 2001 at approximately 1945 hrs a balloon, N28282, s/n S60A-3008 was being operated for tethered rides under 14 CFR 91 for a private event at… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.