Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Fort Collins, Colorado 80500
Sunday, May 5, 1985 8:15 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE BALLOON BASKET CONTAINING 8 PASS'G & 2 CREWMEMBERS BRUSHED ALONGSIDE A FENCE DURING LNDG. ONE PASS'G WHO HAD BEEN JOSTLED BY THE LANDING BECAME A VICTIM OF 1ACERATIONS & A BROKEN ARM FROM CONTACT WITH BARBED WIRE FENCE. THE PLT STATED THAT THE WIND WAS GUSTING AND SHIFTED DIRECTIONS JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN WHICH DRIFTED THE BALLOON TOWARD THE FENCE. THE WIND WAS 180 DEGREES AT 10 KTS, GUSTING TO 15 KTS. THE PLT STATED THAT HE TRIED TO CLIMB OVER THE FENCE, BUT THE BALLOONS RESPONSE WAS TOO SLOW. THIS LED TO THE VICTIMS INJUUIES BY BEING CAUGHT BETWEEN FENCE ANC BASKET. THE EVLUATION OF THE WX BEFORE TAKE OFF SHOWED THE WX STABLE ENOUGH FOR INFLATION & TAKEOFF. NO MENTION WAS MADE OF POTENTIAL FOR LNDG. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF THE BALLOON WAS DRIFTING NORTH AT 15 MPH. THIS SPEED DID NOT DECREASE AS THE ACFT DESCENDED FOR LNDG AFTER ABOUT 45 MINUTES OF FREE FLT. THE PLT HAD ABOUT 25 FLT HRS IN THIS MAKE & MODEL OF BALLOON OF WHICH 2 WAS DUAL (INSTRUCTIONAL).

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/5/1985
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 815
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City FORT COLLINS
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80500
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 5
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 Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
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 Dawn
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 15
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) 6000
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 9
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 199
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 6 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1005
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 27465
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4199G
NTSB Number DEN85LA127
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage None
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Raven
Aircraft Model S77A
Aircraft Series Identifier S77A
Aircraft Serial Number 577A-103
Certified Max Gross Weight --
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 0
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jul 1 1984 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 69
Airframe Hours 131
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CIRCLE CREST ENTERPRISES, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 4028 CHERRY HILLS DRIVE,
Aircraft Owner City FORT COLLINS
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 80524
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City FORT COLLINS
Departure State CO
Departure Country
Departure Time 656
Departure Time Zone MDT
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 Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
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 --