Raven S55A N4273Y
5 July 1996 · Gunnison, Colorado, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 5 July 1996 at about 13:30 local time, a Raven S55A registered N4273Y was involved in an accident near Gunnison, Colorado, United States. 3 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 13:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Gunnison, Colorado, United States
- Coordinates
- 38.5406, -106.9207
- Aircraft
- Raven S55A
- Registration
- N4273Y
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW96LA292
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot's improper planning/decision. The weather condition (sudden high wind) was a related factor.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The balloon pilot said that when he took off, the wind was calm. After about 15 minutes of flying at 1,000 feet agl, he noticed other balloons at lower altitudes traveling at higher ground speeds. The pilot descended to 200 to 300 feet agl and estimated the wind at that altitude to be in excess of 30 knots. After flying at this altitude for about 10 minutes, the pilot decided to land in an open field. During the high wind landing, one of the two passengers sustained a serious injury. The pilot said that about 15 minutes after the landing, the winds were again calm.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Raven S55A accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Apr 2001 | Raven S55A | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 28 Feb 1988 | Raven S55A | Los Lunas, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 1988 | Raven S55A | Mishawaka, Indiana, United States | Steele, Larry O. | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 1988 | Raven S55A | Fort Morgan, Colorado, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Dec 1986 | Raven S55A/AX7 | Peoria, Arizona, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Jan 1985 | Raven S55A | Littleton, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Sep 1996 | Piper PA28-151 | Falcon, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Aug 1996 | Cessna TR182 | Telluride, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Sep 1996 | Piper PA-30 | Watkins, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Jan 1996 | Learjet 60 | Aspen, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Sep 1996 | Israel 1125 WESTWIND ASTRA | Aspen, Colorado, United States | Emery Air Charter | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jan 1996 | Piper PA-28-181 | Collbran, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |