General Balloon AX-6 N2614K

Summary

On 24 March 1985 at about 18:00 local time, a General Balloon AX-6 registered N2614K, operated by Mary LOU Long, was involved in an accident near Panamint Valley, California, United States. 4 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

24 March 1985 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Panamint Valley, California, United States

Coordinates

35.7302, -117.3603

Aircraft

General Balloon AX-6

Registration

N2614K

Category

Balloon

Operator

Mary LOU Long

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Panamint → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX85LA223

1 person was seriously injured.

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 PLT REPORTED THAT HE WAS LANDING ON DESERT TERRAIN IN NEARLY CALM AIR WHEN A 'STRONG THERMAL WIND PUSHED THE BALLOON 90 DEGREES FROM THE DIRECTION OF TRACK.' SUBSEQUENTLY, THE BALLOON LANDED HARD & WAS DRAGGED ABOUT 150 FT ACROSS THE DESERT. WHILE DEPLOYING THE RIP LINE TO EXPEL HOT AIR, THE PLT FELL ONTO A 68 YEAR OLD FEMALE PASSENGER. DURING THE OCCURRENCE, SHE SUFFERED BROKEN RIBS & A FRACTURED WRIST. REPORTEDLY, THE INJURED PASSENGER HAD OSTEOPOROSIS (CALCIUM DEPLETION OF THE BONES). THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING THE LANDING, THE WIND HAD GUSTED TO 20 KTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.