ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 134879
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| Date: | Sunday 10 October 2004 |
| Time: | 08:25 |
| Type: |  Aerostar SP-1 |
| Owner/operator: | Friends of Smokey the Bear Balloon, Inc. |
| Registration: | N87SB |
| MSN: | SP-1-3001 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Albuquerque, NM -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Executive |
| Departure airport: | Albuquerque, NM |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Prior to launching the balloon, the pilot received a briefing which included weather information. After departure, the pilot flew south for approximately 20 minutes, climbed the balloon to 1,500 feet agl, and then flew to the north for 20 to 30 minutes. The balloon encountered a "gentle" breeze from the east, and the pilot decended the balloon to 300 feet agl, to find a safe landing area. The balloon encountered a breeze from the west which directed the balloon towards the original departure point. The pilot reported, "Suddenly, a strong gust from the east pushed [the balloon] west...toward the radio towers." The pilot searched for a landing area; however, several obstacles prevented an attempted landing. The pilot attempted to climb the balloon over the towers; however, the balloon impacted near the top of a 640-foot tall tower and came to rest entangled with the tower.
Probable Cause: the pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the radio tower. Contributing factors were the pilot's improper compensation for the variable wind conditions.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20041110X01804&key=1
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Dec-2016 19:26 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 07-Dec-2017 18:30 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
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