- Date
- September 7, 1986, 15:46 local (22:46 UTC)
- Place
- Seattle, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- GBMCTCameron D-50
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 40313
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
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
The acft plt and gnd crew were conducting gnd handling and mooring procedures. The plan was to ascend about 10 ft AGL over the fld. The fld was in a depression surrounded by tall trees and se of a 400 ft AGL radio twr. During lift off the gnd crew held the acft down while the plt heated the bag. The 'burns' and 'hold down' was longer than anticipated and at launch the acft rose higher than planned. The alt was such that the acft rose above the trees and started being affected by the 5-7 kt wind from the sse. The plt maneuvered the acft n of the fld and nnw of the twr. After assuring the acft was controllable with the eng and burners an apch was initiated back to the fld. During the apch the descent was not as anticipated and the eng was set to idle. During this time the wind shifted, placing the acft upwind of the twr. The apch was abandoned in favor of maneuvering away from the twr. The eng failed to respond and a climb over the twr was initiated. The acfts nose gnd line caught in the twr.
Aircraft
- Registration
- GBMCT
- Reported as
- Cameron D-50
- Category
- Blimp
- Serial number
- 1024
- Airframe hours
- 6
- Engine
- Cuyuna 430, 30 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert L. Powers, doing business as Crista Broadcasting, Corp.
- Registered owner
- Cameron Balloon, Ltd.
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 9, 1986 · 6 hours before
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Foreign, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 7,557 total · 6 in this make and model · 7,265 as pilot in command · 47 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BFT, 5 nm away