Kubicek BB30 accident near Ashland, OH
On June 30, 2018, a Kubicek BB30 (balloon) was involved in an accident near Ashland, OH. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: minor.
- Date
- June 30, 2018
- Place
- Ashland, OH
- Aircraft
- Kubicek BB30 · Balloon
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 3 minor
- Damage
- Minor
- Position
- 40.877°N, 82.332°W
- NTSB ID
- 20180630X04432
Official records · CEN18LA245
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 29, 2018, about 2000 eastern daylight time, a Balony Kubicek SPOL SRO BB30Z hot air balloon, N717FN, tipped over after landing on a field near Ashland, Ohio. The commercial pilot on board sustained a fatal head injury. The student pilot and two passengers were not injured, and the balloon was not damaged. The balloon was registered to the pilot who was operating it as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 instructional flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight, which departed from a nearby field about 1945. The early evening flight was a hot air balloon sponsor event for the Ashland, Ohio, Balloonfest. The commercial pilot was providing instruction to the student pilot during the flight, and after about 15 minutes, the pilot took control of the balloon and elected to land quickly and return to the Balloonfest field to participate in the evening "balloon glow" event. After landing, the student pilot exited the balloon basket to control the balloon's crown line in preparation for deflating the envelope, and the two passengers remained crouched down in the basket. As the pilot started to deflate the envelope, the wind increased, which concaved the envelope and subsequently pulled the balloon forward, tipping the basket over (see figure 1). As the basket tipped over, the pilot, who was standing in the basket, fell forward and hit his head on the dual burner assembly. The pilot became unconscious about 20 to 30 seconds later and was unresponsive when first responders arrived.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to ensure that he was secure in the balloon's basket after landing, which resulted in him falling and striking his head on the burners when the wind caught the envelope and tipped the basket over. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's underlying heart disease and pulmonary edema that distracted him from securing himself in the basket and left him unprepared when the bask
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Browse: Ohio
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
