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A lindstrand lbl-240A hot air balloon pilot had aircraft equipment failures broken kevlar deflation line and jammed lock body. This led to an out of control landing and passenger injury.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 361272 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199702 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : nkx |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 10 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Balloon |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Balloon |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 200 |
| ASRS Report | 361272 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I noticed a 180 degree wind shift and another 240 balloon land very close to power lines. To avoid this same condition, I flew well past the power lines to give a greater distance for landing. This would put me 5-7 mins past sunset. I approached from 900 ft AGL and descended into a surface wind of 15-20 KTS. After flareout, I chose to use the dump line (center pull fire line) to fast deflate the balloon system. After many hard pulls, the line broke. I was almost ejected from the basket after trying to reach the straight pull valve line. After hitting and swinging several times, I deflated the 240A 200-150 yards from major power lines. Control line failure was due to firing pin shear and jam. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a british registered lindstrand lbl-240A hot air balloon with 10 passenger. The balloon is british registered to allow faster changes than the FAA will allow. Several of the passenger were 'bruised, not really injured' on the landing. None needed hospitalization. There is a 700 pound test kevlar line to operate the center pull parachute vent and deflation device. When a lot of the line is pulled, a lock body is released that allows the top to be rapidly furled. The lock body jammed and did not release in this incident. The reporter was able to break the kevlar line giving him no way to deflate the envelope. The reporter refers to a 'firing pin.' there is no explosive device, simply a locking pin that cannot be reset in the air. The reporter's chief pilot was flying the other balloon mentioned. The other balloon had the same problem with a jammed locking device. The manufacturer has been notified and the locking devices replaced. Technology has progressed to the point that new balloons with similar deflation devices no longer use this locking pin system. The reporter does not care for the trend to kevlar cables in balloon system as they are not reliable, do not give any warning of impending failure, and do not perform as expected.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A LINDSTRAND LBL-240A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT HAD ACFT EQUIP FAILURES BROKEN KEVLAR DEFLATION LINE AND JAMMED LOCK BODY. THIS LED TO AN OUT OF CTL LNDG AND PAX INJURY.
Narrative: I NOTICED A 180 DEG WIND SHIFT AND ANOTHER 240 BALLOON LAND VERY CLOSE TO PWR LINES. TO AVOID THIS SAME CONDITION, I FLEW WELL PAST THE PWR LINES TO GIVE A GREATER DISTANCE FOR LNDG. THIS WOULD PUT ME 5-7 MINS PAST SUNSET. I APCHED FROM 900 FT AGL AND DSNDED INTO A SURFACE WIND OF 15-20 KTS. AFTER FLAREOUT, I CHOSE TO USE THE DUMP LINE (CTR PULL FIRE LINE) TO FAST DEFLATE THE BALLOON SYS. AFTER MANY HARD PULLS, THE LINE BROKE. I WAS ALMOST EJECTED FROM THE BASKET AFTER TRYING TO REACH THE STRAIGHT PULL VALVE LINE. AFTER HITTING AND SWINGING SEVERAL TIMES, I DEFLATED THE 240A 200-150 YARDS FROM MAJOR PWR LINES. CTL LINE FAILURE WAS DUE TO FIRING PIN SHEAR AND JAM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A BRITISH REGISTERED LINDSTRAND LBL-240A HOT AIR BALLOON WITH 10 PAX. THE BALLOON IS BRITISH REGISTERED TO ALLOW FASTER CHANGES THAN THE FAA WILL ALLOW. SEVERAL OF THE PAX WERE 'BRUISED, NOT REALLY INJURED' ON THE LNDG. NONE NEEDED HOSPITALIZATION. THERE IS A 700 LB TEST KEVLAR LINE TO OPERATE THE CTR PULL PARACHUTE VENT AND DEFLATION DEVICE. WHEN A LOT OF THE LINE IS PULLED, A LOCK BODY IS RELEASED THAT ALLOWS THE TOP TO BE RAPIDLY FURLED. THE LOCK BODY JAMMED AND DID NOT RELEASE IN THIS INCIDENT. THE RPTR WAS ABLE TO BREAK THE KEVLAR LINE GIVING HIM NO WAY TO DEFLATE THE ENVELOPE. THE RPTR REFERS TO A 'FIRING PIN.' THERE IS NO EXPLOSIVE DEVICE, SIMPLY A LOCKING PIN THAT CANNOT BE RESET IN THE AIR. THE RPTR'S CHIEF PLT WAS FLYING THE OTHER BALLOON MENTIONED. THE OTHER BALLOON HAD THE SAME PROB WITH A JAMMED LOCKING DEVICE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND THE LOCKING DEVICES REPLACED. TECHNOLOGY HAS PROGRESSED TO THE POINT THAT NEW BALLOONS WITH SIMILAR DEFLATION DEVICES NO LONGER USE THIS LOCKING PIN SYS. THE RPTR DOES NOT CARE FOR THE TREND TO KEVLAR CABLES IN BALLOON SYS AS THEY ARE NOT RELIABLE, DO NOT GIVE ANY WARNING OF IMPENDING FAILURE, AND DO NOT PERFORM AS EXPECTED.
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.