ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 360732
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| Date: | Saturday 12 March 1994 |
| Time: | 08:30 LT |
| Type: |  Head Balloons, Inc. AX9-118 |
| Owner/operator: | Northern Light Balloon Expedit |
| Registration: | N45289 |
| MSN: | 217 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 57 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Sedona, AZ -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot was descending to about 400 feet agl to give the passengers a better view of the surroundings and the burner pilot light went out. The pilot said he tried unsuccessfully to relight it up until ground impact. The balloon consisted of a Head AX9-118 envelope attached to a Balloon Works 5.5 basket, which included a Balloon Works Mirage F-1 burner. The installed propane gas regulator was found to be a Marshall Brass Company model 300. The envelope and basket, produced by different manufacturers, were combined together in accordance with STC SL1748. The burner tested to factory specification. The regulator was the incorrect part for the burner. Functional testing of the regulator found that it flowed at 8 psi. The correct regulator is a Marshall Brass model 301 which has a specified pressure range of 18 to 25 psi. According to Balloon Works, low regulator pressure might make reigniting the pilot lights and burners difficult once snuffed out in flight.
Probable Cause: the failure of the pilot lights and burners to relight in flight once extinguished due to the installation of an incorrect gas pressure regulator.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX94LA162
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 16-Mar-2024 10:33 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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