A hot air balloon ground crew person lost a thumb in an inflation incident.

Attributes
ACN	329694
Time
Date	199603
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 0r4
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	other other : other pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 758 flight time type : 36
ASRS Report	329694
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aerostar raven 54000, total time 179.9 hours, annualed feb/xx/96. During cold inflation, crew member holding handling line that was connected to bottom of envelope let rope get behind him which resulted in rope to be sucked into fan. Fan had all guards in place. Crew member had leather gloves on. This resulted in fan picking up rope and reeling rope into fan. Somehow crew member's thumb got caught and was pulled off. I had to cut rope off of glove that was bound tight against guard to release crew member's hand. Fan's propeller blade crankshaft and fan propeller stuck through cage approximately 10 inches. Fan was destroyed. This event almost happened several flts ago. I almost cut the lines then but did not. I feel this is a serious problem in design and should be corrected. I will cut these lines as soon as I talk to my insurance company. I will also change brands of fan, one that has wire mesh on back and solid metal around propeller. I think an airworthy directive should be put out on these handling lines and that type of fan. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter owns 2 aerostar 54000 cubic ft balloons, the smallest that aerostar makes. He was using a honda powered fan with the usual wire cage around the fan blade. There are 2 lines, about 1/4 or 3/8 inch in diameter, that attach to the edge of the skirt and are in the 'top' position when the balloon is laid out for cold inflation. These lines are used to hold the skirt up away from the flame to prevent melts. Since this incident, the reporter has rolled up the lines and taped them so that they cannot be used. He believes that he cannot 'legally' remove them as they seem to be required equipment. He has contacted aerostar about this problem, but has not received a satisfactory reply. The reporter is now aware of the tendency for the honda fan engines to break crankshafts and will contact the FAA safety hot line. He was advised that other aerostar operators fold the skirt forward over the throat so that these lines do not have to be used at all. The NTSB is investigating this incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON GND CREW PERSON LOST A THUMB IN AN INFLATION INCIDENT.

Narrative: AEROSTAR RAVEN 54000, TOTAL TIME 179.9 HRS, ANNUALED FEB/XX/96. DURING COLD INFLATION, CREW MEMBER HOLDING HANDLING LINE THAT WAS CONNECTED TO BOTTOM OF ENVELOPE LET ROPE GET BEHIND HIM WHICH RESULTED IN ROPE TO BE SUCKED INTO FAN. FAN HAD ALL GUARDS IN PLACE. CREW MEMBER HAD LEATHER GLOVES ON. THIS RESULTED IN FAN PICKING UP ROPE AND REELING ROPE INTO FAN. SOMEHOW CREW MEMBER'S THUMB GOT CAUGHT AND WAS PULLED OFF. I HAD TO CUT ROPE OFF OF GLOVE THAT WAS BOUND TIGHT AGAINST GUARD TO RELEASE CREW MEMBER'S HAND. FAN'S PROP BLADE CRANKSHAFT AND FAN PROP STUCK THROUGH CAGE APPROX 10 INCHES. FAN WAS DESTROYED. THIS EVENT ALMOST HAPPENED SEVERAL FLTS AGO. I ALMOST CUT THE LINES THEN BUT DID NOT. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS PROB IN DESIGN AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED. I WILL CUT THESE LINES AS SOON AS I TALK TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY. I WILL ALSO CHANGE BRANDS OF FAN, ONE THAT HAS WIRE MESH ON BACK AND SOLID METAL AROUND PROP. I THINK AN AIRWORTHY DIRECTIVE SHOULD BE PUT OUT ON THESE HANDLING LINES AND THAT TYPE OF FAN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR OWNS 2 AEROSTAR 54000 CUBIC FT BALLOONS, THE SMALLEST THAT AEROSTAR MAKES. HE WAS USING A HONDA POWERED FAN WITH THE USUAL WIRE CAGE AROUND THE FAN BLADE. THERE ARE 2 LINES, ABOUT 1/4 OR 3/8 INCH IN DIAMETER, THAT ATTACH TO THE EDGE OF THE SKIRT AND ARE IN THE 'TOP' POS WHEN THE BALLOON IS LAID OUT FOR COLD INFLATION. THESE LINES ARE USED TO HOLD THE SKIRT UP AWAY FROM THE FLAME TO PREVENT MELTS. SINCE THIS INCIDENT, THE RPTR HAS ROLLED UP THE LINES AND TAPED THEM SO THAT THEY CANNOT BE USED. HE BELIEVES THAT HE CANNOT 'LEGALLY' REMOVE THEM AS THEY SEEM TO BE REQUIRED EQUIP. HE HAS CONTACTED AEROSTAR ABOUT THIS PROB, BUT HAS NOT RECEIVED A SATISFACTORY REPLY. THE RPTR IS NOW AWARE OF THE TENDENCY FOR THE HONDA FAN ENGS TO BREAK CRANKSHAFTS AND WILL CONTACT THE FAA SAFETY HOT LINE. HE WAS ADVISED THAT OTHER AEROSTAR OPERATORS FOLD THE SKIRT FORWARD OVER THE THROAT SO THAT THESE LINES DO NOT HAVE TO BE USED AT ALL. THE NTSB IS INVESTIGATING THIS INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.