Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Merrill Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Monday, February 28, 1983 11:00 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE TWO BALLOONS COLLIDED IN MID AIR. ONE (N4195L) SUFFERED A RIP IN THE ENVELOPE WHICH NEGATED ITS LIFT, WITH BURNER FULL ON. IT DESCENDED AT 500 RPM AND MADE A HARD LANDING. THE HOLE IN THE ENVELOPE EXTENDED ACROSS 5 GORE PANELS. THE 2 BALLOONS DEPARTED THE SAME AREA WITH N4195L IN THE LEAD. IT CLIMBED SLOWER AND THE OTHER BALLOON (N5563L) OVERCLIMBED ITAND SLID ACROSS THE TOP OF IT. A BOLT PROTRUDING FROM THE METAL BASKET OF N5563L RIPPED THE ENVELOPE OF N4195L. N5563L WAS NOT DAMAGED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/28/1983 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1100 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | ANCHORAGE |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99501 |
| Event Date Year | 1983 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | MERRILL FIELD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MRI |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 4 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 120 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| 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 | 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) | 60 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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 | 5 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1698 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 36925 |
| 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 #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4195L | N5563L |
| NTSB Number | ANC83LA049A | ANC83LA049B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- | -- |
| Damage | Substantial | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | RAVEN | RAVEN |
| Aircraft Model | RX-7 | RX-7 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | RX-7 | RX-7 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | SSSA 926 | 555A-554 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1435 | 1435 |
| Aircraft Category | Balloon | Balloon |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 28 1983 12:00AM | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 40 | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 140 | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes | No |
| ELT Activated | Yes | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | NBA ADVERTISING INC. | TIMOTHY BRIAN COOKSEY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 301 . NORTHERN LIGHTS BLVD. | 3235 40TH S.W. |
| Aircraft Owner City | ANCHORAGE | SEATTLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | ||
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99501 | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- | -- |
| Operator Name | ||
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | ||
| Operator City | ||
| Operator State | ||
| Operator Country | ||
| Operator Zip code | ||
| Operator Code | ||
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown | 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 | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | No |
| Departure Airport Code | ||
| Departure City | ANCHORAGE | ANCHORAGE |
| Departure State | AK | AK |
| Departure Country | ||
| Departure Time | 0 | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | ||
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | ||
| Destination City | ||
| Destination State | ||
| Destination Country | ||
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb | Climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:36AM | Jan 2 2001 10:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |