Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bereza Bolivia
Tuesady, September 12, 1995 11:54
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On September 12, 1995, about 1152 Eastern European Daylight Time (UTC+3), a hydrogen-filled balloon, "D-Caribbean" registered to Blenk, Gottlieb (Operation Company: Fahrtengruppe Soukup & Thomas) was shot down by a Republic of Belarus Air Force attack helicopter, and crashed near the town of Bereza, Republic of Belarus. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time of the accident. The aircraft was destroyed. After being hit by rounds of machine-gun fire, the hydrogen-filled balloon envelope tore and partially burned, and after impact with the ground the balloon gondola frame was compressed along its vertical axis.
The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Belarus State Commision and is being conducted by the Russian Flight Safety Commission of the Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK), with participation of specialists from scientific research organizations as well as representives from the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany. This report is filed for information purposes only and contains only that information released by the Belarus State Commission and the MAK. For additional information contact either:
Chairman, State Aviation Committee of the Republic of Belarus 4, Aerodromnaya Str. Minsk 220065 Republic of Belarus Telephone: (0172) 25 0392 FAX: (0172) 25 1483
or
Chairman, Flight Safety Commission Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) Krjijanovsky St., No. 7, bldg. 1 Moscow, 117875, Russia Telephone: (095) 125-1478 FAX: (095) 129-6144
NOTE: Also see attached letter to Mr. Roudolf A. Teymourazov, Investigator-in-Charge, from James W. Danaher, U. S. Accredited Representative, May 29, 1996.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/12/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1154 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | BEREZA |
| Event State | -- |
| Event Country | BOLIVIA |
| Zipcode of the event site | |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Not Reported |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1800 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 105 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | Unknown |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 7000 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 14 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 20 2003 3:37PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\ZUZL |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | -- |
| NTSB Number | DCA95RA061 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Non-U.S., Non-Commercial |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Unknown |
| Aircraft Explosion | Unknown |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BALLOONBAU WOERNER GMBH |
| Aircraft Model | |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | |
| Aircraft Serial Number | |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Balloon |
| Aircraft Registration Class | Unknown |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 25387 G. B. |
| Operator City | CHRISTIANSTED |
| Operator State | VI |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 00824 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Unknown |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Unknown |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Unknown |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | ZURICH, SWITZ |
| Departure State | OF |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | UNKNOWN |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 22 2001 3:26PM |
| 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 | -- |