Adams A55S N9808S
4 July 1999 · Woodstock, Georgia, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 4 July 1999 at about 01:29 local time, a Adams A55S registered N9808S was involved in an accident near Woodstock, Georgia, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 01:29
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Woodstock, Georgia, United States
- Coordinates
- 33.4907, -84.4894
- Aircraft
- Adams A55S
- Registration
- N9808S
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Alpharetta → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dusk
- NTSB number
- ATL99LA103
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
A loose connection between the fuel line fitting and the burner assembly which resulted in a fire.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that the balloon was carefully examined and assembled prior to flight and no mechanical problems were found. After 45 minutes of standing and ascending tether operations, the pilot's son noticed fire dripping from the fitting that connects the main fuel line to the burner assembly. After unsuccessfully trying to extinguish the fire, the pilot pushed his son from the balloon at ground level. The balloon then ascended rapidly to the extent of the 25 foot tethers. At that point, the pilot elected to jump from the balloon. After 15 to 20 minutes, the fire burned through the tether ropes releasing the balloon, which drifted unmanned for approximately one hour before descending and colliding with a single family dwelling. The balloon was destroyed. Examination of the fuel line fitting revealed a loose connection between the two threaded ends. According to the manufacturer of the fuel hose, it is produced for use in air conditioning applications and should never be used with LP gas.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Adams A55S accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Mar 2000 | Adams A55S | Los Lunas, New Mexico, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Dec 1997 | Adams A55S | Gallup, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | - |
| 15 Oct 2006 | Adams A55S | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 1988 | Adams A55S | Collierville, Tennessee, United States | Turnispeed, Micheal R. | Serious injuries | - |
| 1 Jun 1984 | Adams A55S | Grayslake, Illinois, United States | Ronald J. Rytie | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 1980 | Adams A55S | Gainesville, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1999 | Cessna 551 | Cordele, Georgia, United States | William McMahan | Fatal | 1 |
| 10 Jul 1999 | Let BLANIK L-13 | Monroe, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Sep 1999 | Cessna 182P | Summerville, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Oct 1999 | Cessna 152 | Cornelia, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Mar 1999 | Luscombe 8E | Dahlonega, Georgia, United States | Chester Thurston | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 1999 | Bell OH-13H/M74A | Sparta, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |