Head Balloons AX8-88 N8190V

Summary

On 18 June 2011 at about 13:20 local time, a Head Balloons AX8-88 registered N8190V was involved in an accident near Summerdale, Alabama, 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.

Date

18 June 2011 at 13:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Summerdale, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

30.4833, -88.3000

Aircraft

Head Balloons AX8-88

Registration

N8190V

Category

Balloon

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Foley → Summerdale

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA11CA353

Nobody was injured.

The balloon pilot's failure to maintain proper altitude/clearance from a tree line during the landing approach.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the balloon reported that he elected to land in a large field after the wind speed increased during the flight. During the approach the pilot aligned the gondola to scrape along the top of a tree line adjacent to the intended landing field. He stated that, in ballooning, it is a common practice to scrape against the tops of trees on approach. The pilot allowed the balloon to descend too low during the maneuver and the balloon's "red line" became tangled in the trees which caused the envelope to deflate. The balloon then caught fire and the gondola settled to the ground as the pilot turned off the fuel. Both he and the passenger egressed the gondola safely before fire consumed the gondola.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.