ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 292986
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| Date: | Sunday 2 October 2005 |
| Time: | 16:19 LT |
| Type: |  Abruzzo Grom-1 |
| Owner/operator: | Richard Abruzzo |
| Registration: | N96YD |
| MSN: | 798 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 711 hours |
| Engine model: | Gas Balloon |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Kendall, Kansas -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Demo/Airshow/Display |
| Departure airport: | Albuquerque, NM |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The balloon, USA-1, was participating in the Gordon Bennett race. It had been aloft for 22 hours and had traveled some 350 to 400 miles. Cruising about 35 mph in "smooth air" at 7,000 feet msl, it encountered "mid-afternoon dry thermals" and a "sudden and unexpected downdraft." The dry thermals forced the balloon into an "extreme" and uncontrolled descent. The veriometer "pegged" at 1,500 feet per minute descent. The crew attempted to arrest the descent rate by throwing ballast overboard, but was unsuccessful and the balloon collided with power lines. The entangled gondola severed the power lines and the balloon ascended rapidly. As it ascended, the gondola "pitched violently as much as 60 degrees" and the pilot fell out at a height approximately 30 to 40 feet. The balloon ascended with the copilot still on board. Using a satellite telephone, she notified the chase crew and gave them the location of the accident. The balloon ascended to 14,000 feet msl before the copilot was able to "[execute] a controlled descent." The balloon hit the ground hard approximately 8 miles from the accident site.
Probable Cause: the downdraft forcing the balloon into the power lines. A contrbuting factor was the clear air turbulence and the power lines.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB DEN06LA016
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Oct-2022 14:40 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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