Raven S55A accident near Littleton, Colorado, January 13, 1985
On January 13, 1985 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Raven S55A (balloon), registered N81DS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Littleton, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 13, 1985 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Littleton, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raven S55A · all S55As on the register
- Registration
- N81DS · registry record · serial 748
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE BALLOON ENVELOPE COLLIDED WITH POWER LINES AFTER DRAGGING THE BASKET & OCCUPANTS APRX 200 YARDS ALONG AN OPEN FLD AND THROUGH A FENCE WHICH DAMAGED THE BASKET CONTAINING THE OCCUPANTS. THE BALLOON PLT SAID THAT THE WIND WAS ONLY 5 KTS AT TAKEOFF BUT AFTER 30 MINUTES OF FLT A WIND DESCRIBED BY THE PLT AS 'SHEER (SIC) FROM APRX 150 FT TO SURFACE, 30-35 MPH-FLAPGS ON FLAG POLES STANDING STRAIGHT OUT-LOOKED FOR LNDG AREA-VENTED THE BALLOON & PREPARED FOR LNDG.' FURTHER ATATEMENT BY THE PLT CONTAINED INFO THAT THE VENT OPENING CREATED A SAIL EFFECT TO INCREASE THE RESULTANT DRAG. PLT ALSO SAID, 'TRIED PULLING TOP OUT OF BALLOON BUT ONLY 1/3 OF TOP RELEASED CAUSING A DRAGGING EFFECT.' THE BALLOON ENVELOPE FINALLY CONTACTED & DRAPED OVER THE POWER LINES & WAS DAMAGED DURING THE CONTACT & LATER DURING REMOVAL. INTERVIEWS WITH SEVERAL COMMERCIAL BALLOON PLTS & A REPRESENTATIVE OF RAVEN INDUSTRIES, SIOUX FALLS, SD, REVEALED THAT MOST BALLOON PLTS CAN EXPECT A SAFE LNDG IN WINDS OF 10 MPH OR LESS & A RISK IN HIGHER WINDS.
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: 144 hours in all; 144 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 126 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 252 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 16, 1984; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 600 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: None NONE (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Chatfield Reser CO at 3:27 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 30 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:15 am
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N81DS the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN85LA078.