Balloon Works 7B accident near Lexington, Kentucky, April 22, 1990
On April 22, 1990 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Balloon Works 7B, registered N1512T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lexington, Kentucky. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE OVERLOAD FAILURE OF SEVERAL JUMPER CORDS. FACTOR(S) WERE INADVERTENT ENCOUNTER WITH UNFAVORABLE WIND (DUST DEVIL). SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE RATE OF DESCENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 1990 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lexington, Kentucky
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works 7B
- Registration
- N1512T · no longer on the register · serial F7B-033
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
N1512T BECAME TRAPPED IN A DUST DEVIL AT CRUISE FLIGHT WHILE PARTICIPATING IN A BALLOON RALLY IN LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY. THE BALLOON STARTED A 900 FPM TWISTING CLIMB UNTIL IT REACHED 4000 FEET. AT THE TOP OF THE DUST DEVIL, THE BALLOON STARTED A RAPID DESCENT, WHICH THE PILOT COULD NOT CONTROL. THE BURNER ASSEMBLY WAS DAMAGED DURING THE CLIMB AND WOULD ONLY PRODUCE PARTIAL POWER. THE PILOT'S ATTEMPT TO CONTROL THE RATE OF DESCENT FAILED. ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE PILOT CLOSED OFF THE BURNER PILOT. THE BALLOON CRASH LANDED BETWEEN TWO HOMES. EXAMINATION DISCLOSED SEVERAL TORN PANELS, BROKEN JUMPER CORDS, A BROKEN CENTER CORD, AND SEVERAL FRAYED CENTER CORDS. SUBSEQUENT TENSILE TESTS PROVED THAT THE CORDS WERE WITHIN SPECIFICATION AND THEY FAILED IN OVERLOAD. DUST DEVIL ACTIVITY NORMALLY CAN NOT BE FORECASTED.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 190 hours in all; 190 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 160 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Unknown UNKNOWN (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.