ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 45280
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: | Tuesday 25 February 2003 |
| Time: | 07:55 |
| Type: |  Balloon Works Firefly 11B |
| Owner/operator: | Bonaventura Balloon Company |
| Registration: | N1501H |
| MSN: | B112001 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 33 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | YOUNTVILLE, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Yountville, CA |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A bystander sustained fatal injuries after falling from a balloon. Although the scheduled flight had been canceled, the pilot was going to lift the balloon several hundred feet into the air so that the passengers could take a picture of the balloon in flight. As the balloon was being repositioned by five members of a ground crew, two bystanders grabbed onto the basket and it ascended more than the pilot had planned. She called to everyone to release. The five crew members and one bystander released; however, one bystander continued holding onto the balloon. During the ascent, the pilot realized the bystander was hanging on and told him to hang on while she descended. However, the bystander was unable to hold on and fell to his death. Tetrahydrocannabinol (marijuana) levels in the bystander suggested use within the hour and significant impairment.
Probable Cause: A bystander was impaired by drugs and did not follow the pilot's directive to release the balloon as it began its ascent.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20030228X00271&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] |
| 08-Dec-2017 18:03 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
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