Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87113
Saturday, October 14, 1989 8:45 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PLT WAS OPERATING HIS HOT AIR BALLOON IN A BALLOON FIESTA WITH 3 PASSENGERS (PAX). THE BALLOON WAS SHAPED LIKE A 138 FT TALL, STANDING CLOWN, WITH THE RIGHT ARM RAISED TO HEAD LEVEL. THE ARM IS DESIGNED TO WAVE WHEN THE PLT PULLED A CONTROL LINE. THE PLT SAID THAT DURING THE ASCENT, AT 20 FT AGL, THE BALLOON ENVELOPE BEGAN TO TEAR. HE SAID THE RIP CONTINUED UNTIL IT WAS 47 FT LONG, VERTICALLY. A WITNESS SAID THAT THE LOSS OF HOT AIR RESULTED IN A GENTLE UNCONTROLLED DESCENT, AND THE BALLOON LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER DAMAGE OR INJURY. A POST-ACDNT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT DURING THE FIRST ARM CONTROL INPUTS, THE KELVAR CONTROL LINE PULLED LOOSE FROM AN ATTACHED 'D' RING, TORE A GROMMET LOOSE & SAWED THE FABRIC. RPRTDLY, THERE WERE NO LOAD TAPES INSTALLED IN THE AREA OF THE ARM/TORSO JUNCTURE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF THE BALLOON ENVELOPE AS A RESULT OF THE MANUFACTURER'S QUALITY CONTROL OVERSIGHT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/14/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 845 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | ALBUQUERQUE |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 87113 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 750 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 135 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ABQ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5352 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Broken |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 60 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 10 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 6008 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 14 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1030 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 40769 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 1:08PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | GGWIZ |
| NTSB Number | DEN90LA008 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Thunder and Colt |
| Aircraft Model | CLOWN |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | CLOWN |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1369 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Balloon |
| Aircraft Registration Class | Foreign Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 0 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 12 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 15 |
| Airframe Hours | 15 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FRANCIS G. PRELL |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3103 FERN VALLEY ROAD STE. 202 |
| Aircraft Owner City | LOUISVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | KY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 40213 |
| 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 | |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 845 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | NONE |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |