Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Louisvile, Kentucky 40222
Saturday, August 13, 1983 7:35 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PLT RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING AT 0600 EDT & NOTED NOTHING SIGNIFICANT THAT WOULD BE A HAZARD TO FLT. HE PROCEEDED TO LONG RUN PARK, APRX 20 MI EAST OF LOUISVILLE, KY, TO LAUNCH THE BALLON. THERE WAS A 654 FOOT TOWER IN THE VICINITY, BUT THE PLT BELIEVED THE NORTHERLY, 5 KT WIND WOULD CARRY THE BALLOON WELL CLEAR. HE STATED THAT AFTER LIFT-OFF, THE BALLOON BEGAN PROCEEDING ON A PARALLEL COURSE, WELL CLEAR OF THE TOWER. IT THEN ENCOUNTERED A SUDDEN WIND-SHIFT & BEGAN DRIFTING TOWARD THE TOWER WITH INCREASING SPEED. THE PLT ELECTED TO CLIMB TO AVOID THE TOWER. BOTH BLAST VALVES WERE OPENED TO CLIMB AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE & A CLIMB RATE OF 900 TO 1000 FT.MIN WAS OBTAINED. HOWEVER, THE WIND SPEED CONTINUED TO INCREASE. AFTER REALIZING THAT AVOIDANCE WAS NO LONGER POSSIBLE, HE SHUT OFF THE BLAST VALVES & PREPARED FOR A COLLISION. THE BALLOON STRUCK THE TOWER APRX 20 FT FROM THE TOP, THE PLT CLIMBED ONTO THE TOWER STAIRCASE & DESCENDED ON FOOT. THE BALLOON WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/13/1983 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 735 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | LOUISVILE |
| Event State | KENTUCKY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 40222 |
| Event Date Year | 1983 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| 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 | 755 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LOU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 497 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 360 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| 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) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 290 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1524 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 21859 |
| 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 | N16JF |
| NTSB Number | ATL83LA325 |
| 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 | PICCARD |
| Aircraft Model | AX-6 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AX-6 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 736 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1500 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 15 1983 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1 |
| Airframe Hours | 322 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JOHN H. FREEMAN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3173 CREEKSIDE |
| Aircraft Owner City | LOUISVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | KY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 40222 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | LOUISVILLE |
| Departure State | KY |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 717 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| 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 | Climb |
| 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 | -- |