Padelt PG37-1 accident near Hampton, IA
On November 16, 2007, a Padelt PG37-1 (balloon) was involved in an accident near Hampton, IA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- November 16, 2007
- Place
- Hampton, IA
- Aircraft
- Padelt PG37-1 · Balloon
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 43.158°N, 93.331°W
- NTSB ID
- 20071119X01813
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 16, 2007, at 0915 central standard time, an experimental Padelt PG37-1 helium filled balloon collided with power lines in Hampton, Iowa. The commercial pilot and one pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. A second passenger received serious injuries. The balloon received substantial damage. The Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight originated from Greeley, Colorado, at 2330 mountain standard time, on November 14, 2007. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The surviving passenger stated they departed Greeley with the intention of flying one or two nights depending on the weather and how they were feeling. He stated they flew through Wednesday night [the night of November 14th] and there were no problems with the balloon. He stated they switched off during the night with two people staying awake while the third person slept. He stated that on Thursday afternoon [November 15th] the pilot asked if they wanted to continue another night or if they wanted to land. He stated they were all feeling good so they decided to continue the flight. The passenger stated that prior to the accident they stowed the gear in the gondola and prepared for a morning landing. He stated they began a three to four mile "stair-step" approach for landing. The approach consisted of repeatedly dropping ballast, venting, and leveling off. He stated the approach was well controlled and they were not in a hurry to land. The passenger stated that the pilot told him to man the ballast box and instructed him to open som
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning which resulted in the failure to maintain clearance with the power lines. Contributing to the accident was the power line.
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Browse: Iowa
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
