ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 387487
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| Date: | Friday 11 August 2000 |
| Time: | 06:25 LT |
| Type: |  Balloon Works FIREFLY II |
| Owner/operator: | Hot Air Expeditions |
| Registration: | N7244X |
| MSN: | 11008-3-S |
| Total airframe hrs: | 199 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 11 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Phoenix, AZ -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On a for-hire sightseeing flight, the balloon encountered unusual wind conditions and collided with the ground after the envelope partially collapsed. One passenger sustained a fractured ankle in the hard landing. The pilot said that a preflight weather briefing contained no flight precautions for the proposed flight area. The launch site is in a flood control basin near a dam and surrounded by hills. Following launch, the pilot contoured a hill and, as the balloon neared the top, it encountered a wind shear the pilot described as a direction change of 70 degrees with a speed of 10 to 12 knots. The pilot said that on the lee side of the hill, he encountered a downdraft followed immediately by an updraft. The pilot said he believed he encountered a wind rotor. The rapid changes in air mass movement distorted the balloon envelope and resulted in spilling some of the heated air. The balloon then entered a rapid descent the pilot was unable to arrest with three burners going and collided with the ground. The METAR for an airport 4 miles away at the time of the accident was reporting winds from 100 degrees at 8 knots. The pilot did not use pibals or other on sight wind quantification devices prior to launch.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to use pibals or other on site wind determination devices, and his subsequent failure to detect adverse wind conditions prior to launch of the balloon.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX00LA292
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-May-2024 09:27 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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