Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

New York, New York 10019
Sunday, July 4, 1993 15:10 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE CRUISING AT 800 FT HE EXPERIENCED SEVERE BUFFETING WITH A SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. HE WAS LOSING ALTITUDE SO HE INCREASED ENGINE POWER TO REDUCE HIS SINK RATE. THE PASSENGER REPORTED TO THE PILOT THAT THE NIGHT SIGN SEEMED TO BE COMING LOOSE. THE AIRSHIP CAME TO REST DRAPED OVER A SEVEN STORY BUILDING. A WITNESS REPORTED SEEING THE AIRSHIP HEADING SOUTH. HE REPORTED THAT IT SEEMED NORMAL; HOWEVER, SHORTLY THEREAFTER HE NOTICED A HOLE ON THE UNDERSIDE WHICH KEPT GETTING LARGER. PRIOR TO THE TEAR THE WITNESS REPORTED SEEING A SMALL DARK MASS WITH A WHITE FLEXIBLE MATERIAL FALL FROM THE AIRSHIP. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRSHIP REVEALED THAT A SECTION OF THE RIGHT BANNER, WHICH WAS SECURED TO THE ENVELOPE BY VELCRO TAPE, AND A PROJECTOR, WHICH WAS LACED TO A LACING STRIP GLUED TO THE ENVELOPE, HAD SEPARATED TEARING THE ENVELOPE. THE ENVELOPE DID NOT CONTAIN SEAMS TO PREVENT TEARS NOR WAS THE FABRIC TEAR RESISTANT. HOWEVER THE FABRIC MET OR EXCEEDED DESIGN AND FAA REGULATORY STRENGTH LIMITS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

INADEQUATE DESIGN OF, AND DESIGN STANDARDS FOR, THE AIRSHIP WHICH RESULTED IN AN ENVELOPE FAILURE FOLLOWING SEPARATION OF A PORTION OF THE NIGHT SIGN EQUIPMENT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/4/1993
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1510
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City NEW YORK
Event State NEW YORK
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 10019
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 7
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1350 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 1
Weather Observation Facility ID LGA
Elevation of weather observation facility 1
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 13
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 32
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 330
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
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 1
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1036
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 4 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1600
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 52862
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:27PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N832US
NTSB Number BFO93FA107
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name US/LTA
Aircraft Model 138S AIRSHIP
Aircraft Series Identifier 138S AIRSH
Aircraft Serial Number 002
Certified Max Gross Weight 8500
Aircraft Category Blimp
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 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jul 2 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 14
Airframe Hours 300
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name US/LTA CORPORATION
Aircraft Owner Street Address 750 COMMERCIAL STREET
Aircraft Owner City EUGENE
Aircraft Owner State OR
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 97402
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name US/LTA CORPORATION
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 750 COMMERCIAL STREET
Operator City EUGENE
Operator State OR
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 97402
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code BED
Departure City BEDFORD
Departure State MA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1000
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code LDJ
Destination City LINDEN
Destination State NJ
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
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 --