Thunder Balloons LTD. GBJZC
8 May 1982 · Fountain Valley, California, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 8 May 1982 at about 19:45 local time, a Thunder Balloons LTD. registered GBJZC, operated by Greenpeace, was involved in an accident near Fountain Valley, California, United States. 4 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was slightly damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.
The record
- Date
- at 19:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Fountain Valley, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 33.7102, -117.9395
- Aircraft
- Thunder Balloons LTD.
- Registration
- GBJZC
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Greenpeace
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Fountain Valley → Fountain Valley
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX82FA163
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Probable cause
The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.
Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT STATED THE BALLOON WAS INFLATED AND ESTABLISHED WEIGH-OFF PROCEDURES WERE CONDUCTED. AT THE END OF THE WEIGHT-OFF PROCEDURE, AS THE BALLOON WAS BEING WALKED BY THE GROUND HANDLERS, AN INCREASE IN WIND VELOCITY CAUSED THE BASKET TO BE PULLED FREE FROM THEIR GRASP. THE BALLOONS GONDOLA WAS DRAGGED ACROSS THE GROUND FOR ABOUT 100 YARDS, COLLIDED WITH A PORTABLE STAGE, WENT UP AND OVER THE ROOF OF THE STAGE, AND COLLIDED WITH A TOW TRUCK CAUSING A PASSENGER TO FALL OUT BEFORE BECOMING AIRBORNE. IT SUCCESSFULLY LANDED ABOUT 13 MILES NORTH OF THE TAKEOFF SITE. A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORCASTER AT THE SITE STATED THAT WINDS WERE 180 DEGREES AT 7 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 10 MPH AT 5 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Jan 1982 | Piper PA-28R-201T | Truckee, California, United States | Larry Laurich | No injuries | - |
| 1 Feb 1982 | Cessna 180K | El Cajon, California, United States | Hartley Warren | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jun 1982 | Cessna 182 | Truckee, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 30 Jun 1982 | Cessna 205 | El Centro, California, United States | Thomas James Sullivan | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 May 1982 | Cessna 182 | Truckee, California, United States | Charlie Roeschen | Fatal | 1 |
| 6 Nov 1982 | Cessna 172 | Antioch, California, United States | Executive Air | No injuries | - |