Aerostar S53H N5001J
8 July 2004 · Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 8 July 2004 at about 01:25 local time, a Aerostar S53H registered N5001J was involved in an accident near Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 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 01:25
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States
- Coordinates
- 43.5819, -96.7419
- Aircraft
- Aerostar S53H
- Registration
- N5001J
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Sioux Falls → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI04LA204
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing area for the balloon and his failure to maintain clearance with the transmission line. A contributing factor was the presence of the transmission line.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The balloon was substantially damaged when it contacted power transmission lines during landing. The pilot reported that after lift off the flight proceed on a westerly heading approximately 9 knots groundspeed for 17 minutes. He then selected an alfalfa field with 3 scattered hay bales as a landing site and began a descent. The pilot stated he activated the burner to slow the descent as the balloon neared the field. He noted that as the basket contacted the ground, it bounced and "skidded" toward one of the hay bales. After it "bounced off" the bale, the pilot reported that he heard the crew chief warn of power lines ahead. He stated: "I 'ripped-out' the top of the balloon to its maximum, in order to let the air out." He reported that the basket settled on a roadway and slid down a ditch. The balloon envelope subsequently contacted the power lines adjacent to the road. Concerning safety recommendations, the pilot noted "awareness of surface conditions and location of power lines." The pilot reported that there were no malfunctions associated with the balloon. The Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) at the Joe Foss Field Airport (FSD) in Sioux Falls, at 1956, recorded winds from 080 degrees at 7 knots. The pilot reported winds from 090 degrees at 9 knots.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jul 2004 | Pzl-Mielec M-18T | Pine Ridge, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jan 2004 | Bombardier CL-600-2B19 | Rapid City, South Dakota, United States | Skywest Airlines Inc | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 2004 | Piper PA-28-140 | Custer, South Dakota, United States | Flight Training Adventure Camps | No injuries | - |
| 29 Sep 2004 | Arganbright VANS RV-4 | Custer, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 2004 | Air Tractor AT-401 | Britton, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Dec 2004 | Cessna 182P | Belle Fourche, South Dakota, United States | Aero Flight Training | Minor injuries | - |