Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

West Chicago, Illinois 60185
Saturday, June 25, 1994 7:15 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE COMMERCIAL FREE BALLOON PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE PARTICIPATING IN A BALLOON RACE. THE PILOT HAD SELECTED A FIELD IN WHICH TO LAND, AND HIS CHASE CREW WAS POSITIONED IN THE FIELD WATCHING HIS APPROACH. THE PILOT DID NOT ADD HEAT AS HE CROSSED THE FINAL TREELINE. AS THE BALLOON CROSSED THE TREELINE AND ROAD WHICH BORDERED THE UPWIND EDGE OF THE LANDING FIELD, THE GONDOLA, SUPPORT CABLES, AND BOTTOM OF THE ENVELOPE CONTACTED POWERLINES AND THE PROPANE TANKS IGNITED. THE THREE OCCUPANTS FELL 30 FEET TO THE GROUND, SUSTAINING IMPACT INJURIES. THE EMPTY BALLOON REASCENDED, AND FINALLY CAME TO REST 5 MILES DOWNWIND OF THE POWERLINE IMPACT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the pilots failure to maintain vertical clearance above powerlines which bordered the field in which he intended to land. A factor associated with the accident were the powerlines.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/25/1994
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 715
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City WEST CHICAGO
Event State ILLINOIS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 60185
Event Date Year 1994
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 4
Degrees magnetic from airport 80
Airport Elevation 758
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 650 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 80
Weather Observation Facility ID DPA
Elevation of weather observation facility 758
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 4
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 15000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 250
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 3
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1181
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 25 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 750
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2000 11:27AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N20367
NTSB Number CHI94FA209
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire In-flight
Aircraft Explosion In-flight
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cameron
Aircraft Model CAN-56
Aircraft Series Identifier CAN-56
Aircraft Serial Number 5385
Certified Max Gross Weight 1540
Aircraft Category Balloon
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 3
Number of Engines --
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 1 1994 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 11
Airframe Hours 98
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DAVID LEE JAMES
Aircraft Owner Street Address 5875 W 50 SOUTH
Aircraft Owner City LARWILL
Aircraft Owner State IN
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 46764
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State IN
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code
Departure City GENEVA
Departure State IL
Departure Country
Departure Time 602
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --