Aerostar RAVEN S49A accident near Vidalia, Louisiana, March 3, 1996
On March 3, 1996 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Aerostar RAVEN S49A (balloon), registered N6374L, was involved in an accident near Vidalia, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot-in-command's inadequate supervision of the ground crewmember.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 1996 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Vidalia, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerostar RAVEN S49A
- Registration
- N6374L · registry record · serial S49A-3110
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During inflation of the hot air balloon, a ground crewmember received serious injury when the handling rope he was holding became entangled in the inflation fan. Review of the manufacturer's flight manual revealed that it contained the following cautionary statement: 'Keep burner skirt handling lines, other balloon components, and personnel clear of the inflation fan to prevent entanglement with the propeller.'
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: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 31 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 180 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 8, 1996; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 |
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.