ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 39713
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| Date: | Monday 5 October 1998 |
| Time: | 10:11 LT |
| Type: |  Cameron A-250 |
| Owner/operator: | Thomas N. Thompson |
| Registration: | N4557W |
| MSN: | 5911 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 362 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming%20O-320-E2D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 13 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Albuquerque, NM -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | (NONE) |
| (KABQ) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The balloon was making a landing approach on a 165 degree heading. The pilot said that he thought he was 50 to 60 feet above the oncoming wires when the balloon began to descend. The balloon impacted the wires, and was subsequently extracted from them due to a large heat input just prior to wire impact. The balloon proceeded eastbound and climbed to 600 feet agl. The pilot began a stabilized descent, and the balloon again turned southbound. He selected a landing site which had transmission wires on the approach edge of the field. He began a descending approach over the wires believing that he had approximately 20 feet of clearance. The balloon's descent suddenly increased, and the pilot began heating the envelope. The balloon impacted the second set of wires, and the basket fell to the ground. Balloon training procedures recommended that during a landing over wires, the wires be approached in level, or ascending flight. The balloon's Flight Manual states: 'if contact with electric wires becomes inevitable, rip out the top to ensure that the basket is as close to the ground as possible before contact.'
Probable Cause: The pilot not planning his approach to a landing so as to fly over the transmission wires (on the approach edge of the landing field) in level flight or ascending flight, and the pilot not pulling out the rip panel for emanate contact with transmission wires as the owner's manual directs. A factor was the wind shear weather condition.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB DEN99FA004
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 04-Apr-2024 16:38 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Plane category, Category, Accident report] |
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