Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pheonix, Arizona 85304
Monday, March 31, 1986 7:30 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE BALLOON COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN DURING A SIGHT SEEING TOUR. THE PLT NOTICED THE DUST SIGNATURE OF GROUND TURBULENT WX PHENOMENA KNOWN AS ROTORS OR DUST DEVILS ARPX 3 MILES AHEAD. HE ELECTED TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AND DESCENDED TO AN ALT OF 75 FT AGL. THE BALLOON WAS DRIFTING AT 3 TO 5 KTS OVER AN ORCHARD ON FINAL APCH TO AN OPEN FLD WHEN IT ENCOUNTERED THE ADVERSE WIND. THE BALLOON CHANGED ITS' DIRECTION OF TRAVEL 180 DEGS. THE PLT INITIATED A CLIMB BY SWITCHING ON BOTH BURNERS, BUT THE BALLOON DESCENDED AND WAS DRAGGED THROUGH THE TREE TOPS OF THE ORCHARD. AT 20 FT AGL THE BALLOON BEGAN TO CLIMB TO AN ALT OF 100 TO 120 FT AND THEN ENCOUNTERED A STRONG DOWNDRAFT.THE PLT SHUT OFF BOTH BURNERS AND PILOT LIGHTS AND THEN ALERTED THE PASSENGERS. THE PLT PULLED THE PARACHUTE DEFLATION PORT AND THE BALLOON LANDED HARD. ON IMPACT ONE PASSENGER WAS THROWN FROM THE BASKET AND SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/31/1986 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 730 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | PHEONIX |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85304 |
| Event Date Year | 1986 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| 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 | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 745 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 70 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DVT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1475 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 11 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 50 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 408 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 31 1986 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1700 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 30562 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 9:14AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3694C |
| NTSB Number | LAX86LA159 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BALLOON WORKS |
| Aircraft Model | FIREFLY 8-24 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | FIREFLY 8- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | F8050 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2020 |
| 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 | -- |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 27 1985 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 68 |
| Airframe Hours | 262 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MERY LEE PATTERSON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 12337 LAKE CITY WAY |
| Aircraft Owner City | SEATTLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98125 |
| 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 | 10951 NORTH 91ST AVE |
| Operator City | PEORIA |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 85345 |
| 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 | GLENDALE |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 710 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| 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 | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 22 2001 3:51PM |
| 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 | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |