- Date
- December 11, 1990, 08:15 local (13:15 UTC)
- Place
- Columbus, OH
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3589JAerostar S-60A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 17, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901211053819A
- Case key
- 36775
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 planning/decision by the pilot. The unfavorable wind and temperature inversion were related factors.
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 balloon departed from a field about 4 mi southeast of the subsequent accident site. Witnesses saw the balloon drifting to the northwest at low altitude. Several witnesses said that as the balloon neared a 1029 ft tall tv antenna, it began to ascend rapidly & its horizontal speed increased. However, the balloons envelope contacted the top of the antena. Both the envelope & gondola fell into a wooded area. A weather study showed that there was a temperature inversion & that the wind velocity increased from about 4 KTS at the surface to about 13 KTS at 3000 ft MSL.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3589J
- Reported as
- Aerostar S-60A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- S60A3095
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Icchc Corporation
- Airport
- 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
- 31
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 552 total · 47 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 14,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 21 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CMH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.