ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 44923
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| Date: | Saturday 28 February 2004 |
| Time: | 16:30 |
| Type: |  Raven RX-7 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N4110M |
| MSN: | RX7-337 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Nicholasville, KY -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Nicholasville, KY |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The hot-air balloon was inflated "normally," and the pilot planned to launch from a field about 300 feet long and 100 feet wide, with 35-foot tall power lines lining the north edge of the field. As the balloon began to stand up about 200 feet south of the power lines, the wind increased in velocity and became gusty. The wind then pushed the balloon forward, and the basket tipped slightly. The balloon began to "scoot" along the ground, the pilot released the tie-down line, activated the burner, and instructed the crew to "weight off." The balloon ascended to an altitude of about 5 to 10 feet, and the pilot was observed activating the burner several times; however, the balloon did not rise as expected. As the balloon approached the power lines, the pilot closed the fuel tank valves, pulled the redline to open the vent, and ducked inside the basket. The balloon suspension cables contacted the power lines, the cables severed, and the basket fell about 35 feet to the ground in a horizontal attitude.
Probable Cause: The pilot's improper decision to continue the inadvertent flight in variable wind conditions, which resulted in an impact with power lines. Factors were the variable wind conditions and the unsuitable takeoff area.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20040308X00294&key=1
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 07-Dec-2017 17:42 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
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