American Blimp A-1-50 N154ZP
22 May 2004 · North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 22 May 2004 at about 16:15 local time, a American Blimp A-1-50 registered N154ZP was involved in an accident near North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 16:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
- Nearest airport
- North Las Vegas (KVGT)
- Coordinates
- 36.2125, -115.1961
- Aircraft
- American Blimp A-1-50
- Registration
- N154ZP
- Category
- Blimp
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Positioning
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- North Las Vegas → Long Beach
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX04CA221
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
the ground crew's inability to maintain control of the airship and the pilot's inability to obtain a sufficient rate of climb. Contributing to the accident was unfavorable winds.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During an attempted takeoff the airship collided with a one-story building. The crew released the airship from the mooring mast to conduct its weigh-out and takeoff. A gust of wind caused the ship to translate to the right. The nose ropes manned by the ground crew were ineffective in controlling the movement. The pilot decided to execute a takeoff. However, being fully loaded, the airship was slow to respond despite the pilot's application of full power, full left rudder, and full up elevator control inputs. The landing gear hit the chain link airport fence, and then the airship settled on to a one-story building. The ground crew released the ballast and moved the airship back to the airfield. A second wind gust pushed the airship in to the next building over. The crew deflated the entire envelope and removed it off the building.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other American Blimp A-1 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 2001 | American Blimp A-1-50 | Toronto, Canada | Lightship Group | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Apr 1998 | American Blimp A-1-50 | Quincy, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Mar 2004 | Piper PA-38-112 | Jean, Nevada, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 Sep 2004 | Robinson R22 BETA | North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Silver State Helicopter | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Oct 2004 | Ams Flight CARAT A | Minden, Nevada, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 25 Oct 2004 | Bellanca BL17-30 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Jan 2004 | Piper PA-28-180C | Minden, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 May 2004 | Let BLANIK L-13 | Sparks, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |