Skypower 6 N46SP

Summary

On 14 November 1988 at about 14:10 local time, a Skypower 6 registered N46SP was involved in an accident near Circleville, Utah, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

14 November 1988 at 14:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Circleville, Utah, United States

Coordinates

37.8605, -112.3391

Aircraft

Skypower 6

Registration

N46SP

Category

Balloon

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Anaheim → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

DEN89LA031

2 people were 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 COMMERCIAL BALLOON PILOT AND A COMMERCIAL RATED PASSENGER WERE MAKING AN OVERNIGHT FLIGHT. THE BALLOON WAS EQUIPPED WITH INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT THAT ALLOWED FLIGHT FOLLOWING BY LOS ANGELES ARTCC. THE FLIGHT BECAME ENGULFED IN A COLD FRONT AND ENDURED HEAVY TURBULENCE, STRONG UP AND DOWN DRAFTS, SLEET, SNOW AND FREEZING TEMPERATURES. WINDS OF OVER 60 KNOTS PUSHED THE BALLOON TOWARD UTAH. AT DAYLIGHT THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO LAND NEAR CIRCLEVILLE, UTAH. THE PASSENGER SAID THE PLT MISTAKENLY PULLED THE 'RED LINE' WHICH DUMPED ALL THE HELIUM. THE BALLOON FELL AT A RATE BEYOND THE MAXIMUM READINGS ON THE VSI.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.