N6316U

On December 31, 1999, at 0945 central standard time (cst), an Aerostar International, Raven S49A balloon, N6316U, operated by a private pilot, was destroyed when it sustained a hard landing in a field 6 miles south of Flandreau, South Dakota. A subsequent fire broke out. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. No flight plan was on file. The pilot and passenger on board sustained minor injuries. The flight originated at Brandon, South Dakota, at 0820 cst.

In her written statement, the pilot said that on the way to the balloon launch site, she contacted the Flight Service Station at Huron, South Dakota, for weather conditions for the flight. She was told that the surface winds between 0900 and 1000 were forecast to be at 10 knots. At about 0910 cst, the pilot spotted a landing site and descended to see what the winds were like on the surface. "I was around the forecast of 10 knots and the landing site ahead was short for the speed we were traveling." The pilot climbed back up and continued searching for a large field to land in. "The first large field I found I missed the approach, climbed out and began looking again." The pilot then found a large plowed corn field to put down on. "I started my approach in to the field and when I was approximately 30 feet into the field and 10 to 15 feet off the ground, a wind gust hit my envelope. I was reaching up to shut off the pilot light and watched as the front of my envelope caved in and I could look up the outside front. I knew I was committed to that field and that it would be a rough, high-wind landing." The pilot said that they touched down the first time and "rebounded." She pulled in the redline which opens up and deflates the envelope. When they touched down the second time, the balloon began to drag along the ground. "As I was reaching up with my right hand to continue pulling the redline in more, I saw the burner come completely off it's mounting and fall down toward the basket." The pilot said that there was a flame coming from the burner. The pilot told the passenger to get out of the basket. "I continued dragging for 3 or 4 seconds trying to stop the balloon and batting the burner away. It slowed enough so I could get out and I saw the skirt, the lower edge of the envelope and the upper cordura was burned/burning."

Federal Aviation Administration inspectors examined the balloon at Aerostar International, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on January 3, 2000. The balloon's basket and bottom 1/3 of the envelope were destroyed by fire. The burner was disconnected from its mounting position at the top of the frame uprights and remained suspended by the propane line hoses. The mounting pins, which connect the burner to the frame, remained with the burner.

At 0956 cst, the Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 25 miles from the accident site at 188 degrees, was clear skies, 10 miles visibility, and winds 150 degrees at 12 knots.

A witness who flew the same day in another balloon which took off from the same location as N6316U, said that they were all briefed the weather at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to be variable at 3 knots for takeoff, the winds aloft at 3,000 feet mean sea level to be 170 degrees at 10 knots, and the forecast surface winds to remain below 10 knots until 1100 cst. The witness observed that approximately 45 minutes into his flight and on landing, "the ground wind speed quickly increased on one approach to near 15 miles per hour." When the witness did land his balloon, "the winds were back in the vicinity of 10 miles per hour."