ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 201972
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| Date: | Thursday 11 February 1999 |
| Time: | 09:36 LT |
| Type: |  Aerostar RX-9 |
| Owner/operator: | Erick Morrow |
| Registration: | N91067 |
| MSN: | RX9-3002 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 313 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming%20O-235-L2C |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Peoria, AZ -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Phoenix, AZ |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The 53-minute-long sightseeing flight with fare-paying passengers was flown mostly over open fields. During the flight the pilot encountered surface wind which increased in speed from about 3 knots during takeoff to 15 knots during landing. Approaching the landing field adjacent to residential homes, the pilot encountered an estimated 20-knot wind gust. The envelope lost volume, and despite the pilot's effort to arrest the descent by firing both burners, the balloon rapidly lost altitude. The basket impacted the roofs of two houses, tipped 90 degrees sideways, and impacted the ground. The basket was dragged about 300 feet before finally coming to a stop. The pilot did not report experiencing any mechanical problems during the flight. About 3 hours prior to taking off the pilot received a weather briefing in which 27-knot winds were forecast as low as 1,500 feet above the ground. Additionally, a 10-knot surface wind was predicted in the general area, with temporary increases to 12 knots, and gusts to 20 knots within 30 minutes of the accident. Contrary to the balloon's FAA approved flight manual requirements, the passengers were not wearing protective helmets during the hard, high wind landing.
Probable Cause: The pilot's attempted flight in an area of forecasted high winds and his inadequate compensation for those wind conditions once encountered.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX99LA093
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Nov-2017 10:01 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
| 08-Apr-2024 09:51 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Source, Narrative, Plane category, Category, Accident report] |
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