ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 187866
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| Date: | Saturday 1 April 1995 |
| Time: | 06:20 |
| Type: |  Thunder AX10-160 |
| Owner/operator: | Virgin Balloon Flights Ltd |
| Registration: | G-ONPI |
| MSN: | 1819 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | North End Farm, Petworth Road, Chiddingfold, Godalming, Surrey -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Northend Farm, Chiddingfold, Surrey |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Written off (destroyed) 1 April 1995 when crashed into trees on take off at North End Farm, Petworth Road, Chiddingfold, Godalming, Surrey. No injuries sustained to the eight persons on board (pilot and seven passengers). According to the following extract from the official AAIB report into the accident:
"The wind was light and the balloon was being flown from a 200 metre by 100 metre field at North End Farm, Chiddingford; the field had 40 to 50 foot high trees at the downwind end. During the lift off, despite the use of the second burner to increase lift, it was soon apparent to the pilot the the balloon was not climbing as expected, and was not going to rise above the trees.
The pilot therefore pulled the 'rip line' to deflate the balloon, and abandon the take off, but the basket struck some trees at about 10 to 20 feet above the ground, and then fell to the ground as the balloon deflated. The envelope was destroyed whilst it was being disentangled from the upper branches of the trees."
Damage sustained to airframe: Per the AAIB report "Balloon destroyed". As a result, the registration G-ONPI was cancelled by the CAA on 8 June 1995
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/5422f06f40f0b613420002bd/Thunder_AX10-160__G-ONPI_07-95.pdf
2. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=ONPI
3. https://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=17898.0
4. G-ONPI at Leeds Castle,Kent 1991 [photo] https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrysanyo/51228108596/in/photolist-2m3RrVE
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Jun-2016 00:39 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
| 05-Sep-2022 21:48 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 11-Sep-2022 22:00 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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