ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 3292
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| Date: | Saturday 15 August 1981 |
| Time: | 18:40 |
| Type: |  Balloon Works 8-24 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N4062Z |
| MSN: | -813 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Barrington Hills, Ilinois -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Fox River Grove, Illinois |
| Barrington Hills, Illinois | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Passenger stated Pilot attempted a landing short of power lines; landing aborted,pilot turned on burner to climb, hit wires. Of the six persons on board (pilot and five passengers) only one passenger survived, although with serious burn injuries; the other five POB were killed. According to the following contemporary press report from the Daily Herald, Chicago Illinois 16-08-1981:
"FIVE KILLED IN CRASH OF AIR BALLOON.
Five people were killed and a sixth was critically injured in a fiery crash Saturday night when a birthday trip in a hot-air balloon ended in tragedy after the balloon smashed into high-voltage power lines in Barrington Hills and exploded in flames.
The lone survivor jumped from the balloon and landed on the median strip of Route 14 at Kelsey Road after a fall of as much as 100 feet, Lake County Sheriff's police said. HARRY EVANS, 29, of De Land, Fla., was in critical but stable condition in the burn unit of Evanston Hospital with burns over 25 percent of his body.
Authorities identified three victims pronounced dead at the scene of the 6:50 p.m. crash as pilot JAMES BICKET, 26, of Fox River Grove; BRIAN BAKER, age unknown, of McHenry; and WILLIAM KEATING, 24, of west suburban Forest Park.
Another victim, KENNETH COLEMAN, 35, of Kissimmee, Fla., was pronounced dead on arrival at Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, a hospital spokeswoman said. TERRY RITTER, age unknown, of Cary, died of third and fourth degree burns over 90 percent of his body shortly after being admitted, she said.
KEATING'S father-in-law, BRUCE CARSON of River Forest, said KEATING was riding in the balloon as a belated birthday present. CARSON said KEATING'S birthday was July 24, but the balloon trip was put off because of poor weather.
The group left from the Windycity Balloonport Ltd. in Fox River Grove.
Witnesses said it appeared the pilot was trying to bring the balloon down because a storm was developing.
"It looked like he was trying to land, and a gust of wind came up and started to drag them toward the high-tension wires," said ARTHUR CARLSON, owner of the Kelsey Road House Restaurant, which was closed all evening after the accident because of a resulting power outage.
The balloon first was in difficulty just north of the village limits of Barrington Hills, said Sgt. JIM CHRISTOPHERSEN of the Lake County Sheriff's Police. As it approached the power lines and utility pole at Route 14 and Kelsey Road, it started to go down and then lifted up and crashed into either the power lines or the top of the utility pole, which was broken, he said.
"It's uncertain at this point whether it (balloon) was on fire prior to hitting the pole or after," he said. The Federal Aviation Administration was on the scene late Saturday investigating. Police and witnesses give this description:
"When the balloon hit the pole, EVANS leaped out, falling nearly 100 feet to the median. The balloon continued south. A second occupant jumped out, landing in a field. He was dead at the scene. By this time, the balloon had drifted nearly 1,000 feet from the utility pole" officials said.
"Then, a third person jumped out, crashing through the roof of a house on Plum Tree Road. A few feet away, the basket hit ground. At least one of the five propane tanks on board exploded, and intense heat kept passersby from helping the three passengers still on board. They were burned beyond recognition", police said.
Accident investigation:
|
Sources:
1. NTSB Identification: CHI81FA089
2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?omni=Home-N-Number&nNumberTxt=4062Z
3. http://www.gendisasters.com/illinois/7008/barrington-hills-il-air-balloon-crash-kills-five-aug-1981
4. http://cehdclass.gmu.edu/jkozlows/windycty.htm
5. http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1981/08/17/page/1/article/faa-probes-balloon-crash-that-killed-5
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Feb-2008 12:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 12-Aug-2016 17:52 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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