ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 74074
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| Date: | Sunday 25 April 2010 |
| Time: | 06:45 LT |
| Type: |  Cameron Z-425-LW |
| Owner/operator: | Balloon Adventures Emirates (BAE) |
| Registration: | A6-JBR |
| MSN: | 11058 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 13 |
| Aircraft damage: | Unknown |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Near Suwaihan and Nahel, 50km north of Al Ain -
 United Arab Emirates
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | GCAA |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A a Cameron Z-425-LW passenger balloon, with a crew consisting of 1 pilot, 1 supernumerary crewman and carrying 11 passengers, made a high speed hard landing on to uneven terrain while operating in the designated balloon flying area in AL AIN CTA AREA 1.
The balloon landing position was upwind of a large sand dune u2013 the pilot's stated intention was to land before the dune, relying on friction and gravity as the braking action to slow the balloon down - the investigation has been unable to conclude if this was the intent due to the unstable approach of the balloon to the landing point and the variable descent rates associated with the timing and activation of the Rapid Deflation System (RDS), combined with the GPS evidence that does not indicate that the balloon was stationary between the initial hard landing position and the full stop location of the balloon.
Based on witness reports and observed damage on the balloon basket, it is highly probable that the balloon contacted trees on the descent to the landing position.
Following the initial ground contact of the balloon basket, the balloon traversed a large sand dune at approximately 23 kts, travelling over the top of the sand dune before coming to a full stop 200 meters from the initial ground contact position. As the balloon travelled across the top of the sand dune, the balloon envelope was not fully deflated due the time lapse in the actuation of the vent valve of the RDS.
As the balloon passenger basket was dragged over the top of the sand dune, the passenger basket was at or approaching a horizontal attitude as it traversed the crest of the dune: at this point 2 passengers and 1 crewman were displaced forward of the balloon basket, resulting in the death of the 2 displaced passengers and the serious injury of the displaced crewman.
The cause of the injuries was contact with the balloon basket after the passengers were outside of the balloon. The balloon came to a full stop approximately 200 meters from the initial hard landing impact point and 175 meters from the point that the passenger injuries occurred.
The General Civil Aviation Authority determine the primary probable cause of this accident as follows:
I. The unanticipated increasing balloon speed after the balloon launch which did not abate below a reasonable threshold for a safe landing before exiting the designated balloon flying area.
II. In the final phase of the flight, with the increasing balloon speed, the pilot elected to land the balloon onto an area of uneven terrain at an unavoidable high balloon speed.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
http://www.gcaa.ae/en/ePublication/admin/iradmin/Lists/Incidents%20Investigation%20Reports/Attachments/8/2010-Final%20Report%20Cameron%20Balloon%20Z-425-LW%20A6-JBR%20-%20Report%2004%202010.pdf
https://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100426/NATIONAL/704259811/1001/FOREIGN
http://www.tourexpi.com/en-intl/news.html~nid=25995
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Apr-2010 03:02 | harro | Added |
| 26-Apr-2010 04:15 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Location, Source] |
| 05-Sep-2010 11:19 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Total occupants, Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 30-Apr-2018 09:37 | harro | Updated [Time, Narrative] |
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