Aerostar S57-A N3635U
8 October 2005 · Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 8 October 2005 at about 14:30 local time, a Aerostar S57-A registered N3635U was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 3 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 14:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
- Nearest airport
- Albuquerque International Sun (ABQ)
- Coordinates
- 35.0450, -106.6153
- Aircraft
- Aerostar S57-A
- Registration
- N3635U
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Albuquerque → Albuquerque
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN06LA002
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
the pilot's improper in flight planning decision to takeoff and land (splash and dash) in close proximity to trees. Contributing factors are the trees and the water.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that after briefing the crew on a "splash and dash" (touching down in the water and lifting off again) on a sand bar in the middle of the Rio Grande River, he took off again, and climbed up and cleared a tree at the edge of the water, allowing the balloon to cool and descend towards the river. The crown line and vent line caught a tree branch and he was continuing to burn while the vent line was being held open." A crew from the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) arrived within 1-2 minutes and "they were able to free the crown line first but the vent line was being held open and once the crown line was freed, the balloon continued to vent and the basket descended into the water. The balloon's throat collapsed and the envelope started to deflate. I evacuated the crewmembers to the APD personnel while the envelope and basket were drawn into the water. The current was too swift to recover the balloon system despite the assistance of 2 APD personnel and 5 bystanders."
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Aerostar S57 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 May 2000 | Aerostar S57-A | Windermere, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 1991 | Aerostar S57-A | Avon, Colorado, United States | Roland L. & Ruth B. Elkins | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Aug 2005 | Hughes 369HS | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | Christopher Holland | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Aug 2005 | Stinson L-5G | Gallup, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Aug 2005 | Forbes RUTAN LONG EZE | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Apr 2005 | Cessna 172S | Gallup, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Dec 2005 | Cessna 182A | Hobbs, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 Jul 2005 | Grob G103 | Moriarty, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |