Cameron ZL-60 N61ZL
31 August 2008 · Anderson, South Carolina, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 31 August 2008 at about 13:00 local time, a Cameron ZL-60 registered N61ZL, operated by Charles L. Walz, was involved in an accident near Anderson, South Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously 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 13:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Anderson, South Carolina, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.4944, -82.7092
- Aircraft
- Cameron ZL-60
- Registration
- N61ZL
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Charles L. Walz
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Anderson → Anderson
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA08CA176
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's improper use of the balloon burners.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was participating in a balloon competition event. He overflew his second target and climbed to 6,800 feet en-route to the third target. The basket started oscillating from right to left and he became disoriented. The pilot could not focus on the gauges and could not determine if he was climbing or descending. He thought he was descending, but the balloon was climbing. In order to arrest his perceived descent, the pilot continued to operate both burners which further increased his rate of ascent. During the climb he noticed that the parachute at the top of the balloon had shifted to the left and was letting out hot air. He tried to re-seal the parachute by adding more heat with the burners, and realized the balloon was in a rapid climb. The air in the balloon was evacuated and the balloon began to streamer, resulting in a rapid descent. The basket collided with a tree and the pilot was ejected from the basket. Examination of the envelope/balloon revealed the balloon was intact. All damage to the balloon was related to heat damage from the improper use of the burners or from impact damage from the tree. No precrash mechanical anomalies were noted during the inspection.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Oct 2008 | Cessna 177 | Bluffton, South Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 Dec 2008 | Moore David DM-1 | Salters, South Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Oct 2008 | Hargett SKY RANGER II | Rock Hill, South Carolina, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 20 Jun 2008 | Cessna 172S | Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States | Bernard E. Stevenson | No injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 2008 | Cubcrafter CC11-100 | Gilbert, South Carolina, United States | William Lee Barrier | No injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 2008 | Piper PA-12 | N. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States | Barnstormer Flite Signs Inc | Minor injuries | - |