Summary
On April 18, 2009, a Aerostar International INC RAVEN S49A (N6378E) was involved in an accident near Tracy, CA. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury, with 1 person uninjured out of 2 aboard. The aircraft sustained minor damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power lines.
The pilot reported that while approaching an open field for landing, the balloon suddenly slowed down. Shortly after, he noticed that the balloon had contacted power line wires, and the lines were traveling down the side of the balloons envelope and uprights and trapped his passenger against the basket. The pilot stated that the passenger was able to free herself as he was able to kick the wires from the corner of the basket. The balloon subsequently ascended about 200 feet. The pilot proceeded to initiate a landing in the nearest open field and landed without further incident. The pilot further reported that neither he nor his passenger saw the power lines prior to the balloon impacting them.
This accident is documented in NTSB report WPR09CA207. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N6378E.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power lines.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot reported that while approaching an open field for landing, the balloon suddenly slowed down. Shortly after, he noticed that the balloon had contacted power line wires, and the lines were traveling down the side of the balloons envelope and uprights and trapped his passenger against the basket. The pilot stated that the passenger was able to free herself as he was able to kick the wires from the corner of the basket. The balloon subsequently ascended about 200 feet. The pilot proceeded to initiate a landing in the nearest open field and landed without further incident. The pilot further reported that neither he nor his passenger saw the power lines prior to the balloon impacting them. Examination of the hot air balloon revealed that the envelope and basket sustained minor damage; however, the passenger sustained serious injuries.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR09CA207