ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 291665
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| Date: | Sunday 5 November 2006 |
| Time: | 07:45 LT |
| Type: | Strategie Ballloon Co. Amazon |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | PP-XKY |
| MSN: | AB/SS/02 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Page, Arizona -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Page, AZ |
| Page, AZ | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The balloon's envelope caught fire during the takeoff initial climb and the pilot made a hard landing during efforts to get it on the ground as quickly as possible. During a pre-departure inflation, dry grass cuttings were accidentally blown into the balloon's envelope by a fan used to blow air into the balloon during the cold inflation phase. When departing, the pilot turned on the burners until the balloon started to ascend from the launch field. As the balloon continued through 300 feet above ground level (agl), he noticed that grass cuttings were inside the balloon envelope, and had become engulfed in flames. Shortly thereafter, the fabric on the envelope's throat started to burn, and the pilot pulled the vent line in an effort to descend. The suspension cables began to disconnect from the throat of the balloon as a result of the fire. The basket contacted the ground and two passengers were ejected. The absence of the passengers' weight resulted in the balloon starting an ascent. The fire continued to burn the fabric comprising the balloon's throat and seven additional suspension cables disconnected. The pilot manipulated the balloon back to the surface and the ground crew secured the basket.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to identify grass clippings in the balloon envelope during a preflight inspection, which resulted in the balloon catching fire in flight.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX07CA028
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Oct-2022 17:27 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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