ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 181210
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| Date: | Saturday 21 July 1984 |
| Time: | 17:45 |
| Type: |  Cameron O-77 |
| Owner/operator: | The Dan Air Hot Air Balloon Group |
| Registration: | G-BDWW |
| MSN: | 226 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Lowfold Farm, Fittleworth Road, Wisborough Green, West Sussex -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | |
| Lowfold Farm, Fittleworth Road, Wisborough Green, West Sussex | |
| Investigating agency: | AIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
Built early 1976, and first registered in the UK as G-BDWW on 16/5/1976. Written off (destroyed) 21/7/1984 when caught fire and crashed in a forced landing at Lowfold Farm, Fittleworth Road, Wisborough Green, Billingshurst, West Sussex. According to the following extract from the official AAIB report into the accident:
"The balloon was being blown towards the Gatwick Air Traffic Control Zone, so the pilot decided to land. He selected a suitable field ahead, but he was too high to land in the first field selected. He therefore opted to land in the next field, which contained a partly harvested standing barley crop.
The rip panel was pulled at 15 feet agl, and pilot attempted to extinguish the pilot light for the burner. However, before he could close the pilot light valve, the basket hit the ground and turned over. This ignited the standing crop of barley in the field, and the fire became quickly out of control.
The three occupants (pilot and two passengers) escaped from the burning wreckage, and, shortly afterwards, three propane cylinder explosions were heard. In addition to the balloon canopy and basket, three acres of a standing barley crop were destroyed by fire."
Damage to airframe: per the AAIB report, the balloon canopy and basket were destroyed by fire. As a result the registration G-BDWW was cancelled by the CAA as "Destroyed (notified) 14/8/1984"
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422ec79ed915d1374000111/Cameron_0-77_G-BDWW_hot_air_balloon_09-84.pdf
2. CAA: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-BDWW.pdf
3. http://www.danairstaffassociation.uk/fleets.html
4. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/military/Crashes_in_the_South_East.pdf
5. http://aerobernie.bplaced.net/DAN-Air.html
6. [Photo dated 9-9-1979] https://www.flickr.com/photos/97531768@N05/9444561165
7. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/000765835.html
8. https://addressesandpostcodes.co.uk/address/esXgRGV6/lowfold-farm-fittleworth-road-wisborough-green-billingshurst-rh14-0es.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Nov-2015 20:37 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
| 24-Mar-2022 07:27 | Ron Averes | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 20-Aug-2022 14:17 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Category] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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