Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Flandreau, South Dakota 57028
Friday, December 31, 1999 9:45 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was coming in to land in a field 6 miles south of Flandreau, South Dakota. During the landing attempt, a wind gust collapsed the front of the envelope. The pilot said at that point she knew she was committed to that field and 'that it would be a rough, high-wind landing.' The balloon touched down and 'rebounded.' The pilot pulled in the redline to deflate the envelope. When the balloon touched down the second time, it 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. '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.' Examination of the balloon revealed no anomalies. The Aviation Routine Weather Report for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 25 miles from the accident site at 188 degrees, 11 minutes after the accident, was clear skies, 10 miles visibility, and winds 150 degrees at 12 knots. A witness who was flying at the same time in another balloon, said that when he was 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.'
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and the burner becoming disconnected from the balloon's frame. A contributing factor was the high wind condition.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/31/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 945 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | FLANDREAU |
| Event State | SOUTH DAKOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 57028 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 956 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 188 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FSD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1960 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 25 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 0 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 150 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 654 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1580 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 31 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 4 2001 11:17AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6316U |
| NTSB Number | CHI00LA054 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Aerostar |
| Aircraft Model | S49A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | S49A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 249A-3001 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1100 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 8 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 34 |
| Airframe Hours | 291 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DEB HUSBY AND BRUCE WELLER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 501 N OAK |
| Aircraft Owner City | BRANDON |
| Aircraft Owner State | SD |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 57005 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | DEBORAH A. HUSBY |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 625 PHILLIPS AVE, APT. 8 |
| Operator City | SIOUX FALLS |
| Operator State | SD |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 57104 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | BRANDON |
| Departure State | SD |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 820 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 4 2001 11:53AM |
| 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 | -- |