Lindstrand Balloons 90A accident near Allen, Texas, July 18, 2004
On July 18, 2004 at about 12:40 pm local time, a Lindstrand Balloons 90A, registered N6036F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Allen, Texas. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the power lines. A contributing factor was the gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 2004 · about 12:40 pm local time · cases in 2004
- Place
- Allen, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lindstrand Balloons 90A · all 90As on the register
- Registration
- N6036F · no longer on the register · serial 5216
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A 190-hour balloon pilot carrying two first-time balloon passengers landed in an open field and realized that the grass there was very tall. To aid the recovery of his balloon, the pilot elected to reposition the balloon closer a road where the grass was shorter. While repositioning the balloon, the pilot noticed power lines located along the road. Subsequently, the pilot shut-off the fuel and pilot light on the burner and opened the deflation port to deflate the envelope. During the deflation process, a gust of wind blew the balloon along the ground at a 45-degree angle toward the power lines. The pilot and the two passengers exited the basket before the envelope collided with the power lines. After approximately 30 to 45 seconds, the envelope was blown off the power lines and on to the nearby road.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 190 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 18, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 155 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2003; 27 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Mckinney TX at 12:05 pm
- Destination: Allen TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N6036F: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Lindstrand Balloons 90 79 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Lindstrand Balloons 252 aircraft on the register
- Engine: · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,061 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,986 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/FTW04CA234.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.