Cameron A-250 N4557W

Summary

On 5 October 1998 at about 15:11 local time, a Cameron A-250 registered N4557W was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 13 people were on board and one died, 12 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 October 1998 at 15:11

Classification

Accident

Location

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Albuquerque International (ABQ)

Coordinates

35.1110, -106.6204

Aircraft

Cameron A-250

Registration

N4557W

Category

Balloon

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN99FA004

1 person died.

The pilot not planning his approach to a landing so as to fly over the transmission wires (on the approach edge of the landing field) in level flight or ascending flight, and the pilot not pulling out the rip panel for emanate contact with transmission wires as the owner's manual directs. A factor was the wind shear weather condition.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The balloon was making a landing approach on a 165 degree heading. The pilot said that he thought he was 50 to 60 feet above the oncoming wires when the balloon began to descend. The balloon impacted the wires, and was subsequently extracted from them due to a large heat input just prior to wire impact. The balloon proceeded eastbound and climbed to 600 feet agl. The pilot began a stabilized descent, and the balloon again turned southbound. He selected a landing site which had transmission wires on the approach edge of the field. He began a descending approach over the wires believing that he had approximately 20 feet of clearance. The balloon's descent suddenly increased, and the pilot began heating the envelope. The balloon impacted the second set of wires, and the basket fell to the ground. Balloon training procedures recommended that during a landing over wires, the wires be approached in level, or ascending flight. The balloon's Flight Manual states: 'if contact with electric wires becomes inevitable, rip out the top to ensure that the basket is as close to the ground as possible before contact.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.