Balloon Works 7B N1512T
22 April 1990 · Lexington, Kentucky, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 22 April 1990 at about 23:30 local time, a Balloon Works 7B registered N1512T, operated by Sean R. Askren, was involved in an accident near Lexington, Kentucky, 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 23:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lexington, Kentucky, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works 7B
- Registration
- N1512T
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Sean R. Askren
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL90LA104
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
THE OVERLOAD FAILURE OF SEVERAL JUMPER CORDS. FACTOR(S) WERE INADVERTENT ENCOUNTER WITH UNFAVORABLE WIND (DUST DEVIL). SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE RATE OF DESCENT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
N1512T BECAME TRAPPED IN A DUST DEVIL AT CRUISE FLIGHT WHILE PARTICIPATING IN A BALLOON RALLY IN LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. THE BALLOON STARTED A 900 FPM TWISTING CLIMB UNTIL IT REACHED 4000 FEET. AT THE TOP OF THE DUST DEVIL, THE BALLOON STARTED A RAPID DESCENT, WHICH THE PILOT COULD NOT CONTROL. THE BURNER ASSEMBLY WAS DAMAGED DURING THE CLIMB AND WOULD ONLY PRODUCE PARTIAL POWER. THE PILOT'S ATTEMPT TO CONTROL THE RATE OF DESCENT FAILED. ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE PILOT CLOSED OFF THE BURNER PILOT. THE BALLOON CRASH LANDED BETWEEN TWO HOMES. EXAMINATION DISCLOSED SEVERAL TORN PANELS, BROKEN JUMPER CORDS, A BROKEN CENTER CORD, AND SEVERAL FRAYED CENTER CORDS. SUBSEQUENT TENSILE TESTS PROVED THAT THE CORDS WERE WITHIN SPECIFICATION AND THEY FAILED IN OVERLOAD. DUST DEVIL ACTIVITY NORMALLY CAN NOT BE FORECASTED.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Balloon Works 7 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jul 1993 | Balloon Works 7B-15 | Colorado Sprgs, Colorado, United States | Walsh, Arthur J. & Cathy L. | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Apr 1982 | Balloon Works 7-B | Masterson, Texas, United States | DON Elwell, JR. | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Apr 1990 | Bell 47D1 | Hickman, Kentucky, United States | Dennis M. Hoppe | No injuries | - |
| 21 May 1990 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Frankfort, Kentucky, United States | Burgess & Niple | Fatal | 6 |
| 31 Jan 1990 | Douglas DC-9-31 | Louisville, Kentucky, United States | Eastern Air Lines, Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Feb 1990 | Cessna 152 | Peewee Valley, Kentucky, United States | Kent State University | No injuries | - |
| 25 Feb 1990 | Cessna 150M | Leitchfield, Kentucky, United States | Michael J. Davis | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1990 | Robinson R22 | Paducah, Kentucky, United States | Byrne, Michael T. | No injuries | - |