ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 288655
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Wednesday 17 March 2010 |
| Time: | 17:55 LT |
| Type: |  Ultramagic S-160 |
| Owner/operator: | Panorama Balloon Tours |
| Registration: | N30048 |
| MSN: | 160/27 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 417 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 9 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Rancho Santa Fe, California -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Encinitas, CA |
| Rancho Santa Fe, CA | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot reported that as the air tour balloon flight progressed, the wind moving the balloon gradually dissipated to a calm state. He stated that to reach his selected landing site, he needed to cross over some high power transmission wires; however, the balloon's three burners failed to produce full power and he elected to land short of the transmission wires. He performed an emergency descent by pulling the top out of the envelope and subsequently, the balloon landed hard. During the landing, three passengers were injured, and the envelope snagged on several trees resulting in substantial damage to the envelope. According to the pilot, at the time of the landing, each of the three 20-gallon fuel tanks was approximately 15 to 20 percent full. A balloon repair station owner reported that burner utilization during flight is either FULL on or totally off (except for the pilot light). When the fuel level of a tank is between approximately 10 to 20 percent, the liquid propane will begin to cavitate in a vortex manner due to the rapid evacuation of fuel through the fuel tank's liquid dip tube, which supplies each respective burner via a fuel hose. When this occurs, there is a discernible difference in the sound of a burner, a pulsing woof-woof, and the power output/thermal output is dramatically reduced. The Flight Manual for the balloon stated in the landing section: "Burner, connect if possible to a fuel cylinder filled to at least 40 percent of its capacity." Additionally, the Flight Manual states "Any contact with electric power lines is extremely dangerous and should be avoided at all costs."
Probable Cause: A reduction of burner/heat production due to low fuel. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's continued flight with a low fuel status.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB WPR10LA169
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Oct-2022 00:54 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation