Abruzzo GROM-1 N96YD

Summary

On 2 October 2005 at about 23:19 local time, a Abruzzo GROM-1 registered N96YD, operated by Richard Abruzzo, was involved in an accident near Kendall, Kansas, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 October 2005 at 23:19

Classification

Accident

Location

Kendall, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Ulysses Airport (ULS)

Coordinates

37.6064, -101.3783

Aircraft

Abruzzo GROM-1

Registration

N96YD

Category

Balloon

Operator

Richard Abruzzo

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Air Race/Show

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Albuquerque → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN06LA016

1 person was seriously injured.

the downdraft forcing the balloon into the power lines. A contrbuting factor was the clear air turbulence and the power lines.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The balloon, USA-1, was participating in the Gordon Bennett race. It had been aloft for 22 hours and had traveled some 350 to 400 miles. Cruising about 35 mph in "smooth air" at 7,000 feet msl, it encountered "mid-afternoon dry thermals" and a "sudden and unexpected downdraft." The dry thermals forced the balloon into an "extreme" and uncontrolled descent. The veriometer "pegged" at 1,500 feet per minute descent. The crew attempted to arrest the descent rate by throwing ballast overboard, but was unsuccessful and the balloon collided with power lines. The entangled gondola severed the power lines and the balloon ascended rapidly. As it ascended, the gondola "pitched violently as much as 60 degrees" and the pilot fell out at a height approximately 30 to 40 feet. The balloon ascended with the copilot still on board. Using a satellite telephone, she notified the chase crew and gave them the location of the accident. The balloon ascended to 14,000 feet msl before the copilot was able to "[execute] a controlled descent." The balloon hit the ground hard approximately 8 miles from the accident site.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.