- Date
- July 14, 1984, 20:40 local (Jul 15, 1984, 00:40 UTC)
- Place
- Lakeville, NY
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N40238Raven S55A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840714035689A
- Case key
- 35380
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
Witnesses stated that as the balloon approached a field for landing, in dim light, it became apparent that the gondola was going to hit power lines. The wooden gondola hit the top wire and the plt jumped approximately 33 ft to the ground sustaining serious injuries. Sparks ignited the propane tanks in the gondola and the basket was engulfed by a fireball.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40238
- Reported as
- Raven S55A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- UNKNOWN
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Montgolfier Balloon Club, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 9, 1984 · 26 hours before
- Airport
- Open 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
- 65
- Certificates
- Commercial, Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 30 total · 5 in this make and model · 5 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Variable at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft unknown
- Temperature
- 75 °F
- Observed at
- FSS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.