Piccard AX-6 N85DP
16 July 1989 · Houston, Texas, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 16 July 1989 at about 13:58 local time, a Piccard AX-6 registered N85DP was involved in an accident near Houston, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 13:58
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Houston, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piccard AX-6
- Registration
- N85DP
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Houston → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW89FA136
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ABORT THE ATTEMPT TO CLEAR THE OBSTACLE. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE POOR CONDITION OF THE BALLOON ENVELOPE AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF BALLOON OPERATIONS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE BALLOON FAILED TO ESTABLISH A CLIMB AND CLEAR A SET OF POWER LINES DESPITE THE FACT THAT, ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE PILOT ACTUATED THE BURNER REPEATEDLY. WHEN IT STRUCK POWER LINES, A TANK EXPLODED, AND THE BASKET WAS RELEASED AND CONSUMED BY FIRE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE DEFLATION SYSTEM HAD NOT BEEN ACTIVATED PRIOR TO THE WIRE STRIKE. ALSO, THE ENVELOPE WAS IN POOR REPAIR, WHICH DECREASED ITS EFFFICIENCY. THE PRIVATE BALLOON PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 9 HOURS AS PIC OUT OF A TOTAL OF 24.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piccard AX-6 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Oct 1988 | Piccard AX-6 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | Conn, Richard C. | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Jun 1987 | Piccard AX-6 | Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States | Robert Vannewkirk | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Mar 1983 | Piccard AX-6 | Springtown, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Aug 1983 | Piccard AX-6 | Louisvile, Kentucky, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jul 1983 | Piccard AX-6 | Azle, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 1 Jan 1983 | Piccard AX-6 | Arroyo Grande, California, United States | William G. Hart | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Apr 1989 | Cessna 150 | San Antonio, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Apr 1989 | Mooney M20J | Jasper, Texas, United States | Stratton, William A. | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Apr 1989 | Beechcraft V35B | Lampasas, Texas, United States | Phil P. O'neal | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 May 1989 | Piper PA-24-250 | Decatur, Texas, United States | Frazier, David R. | No injuries | - |
| 24 May 1989 | Beechcraft A36TC | Amarillo, Texas, United States | L.l.pownell | No injuries | - |
| 30 May 1989 | Piper PA-32R | Stratford, Texas, United States | Sherman Implement Co. | No injuries | - |