Raven Industries S-60A incident near Auburn, Maine, October 14, 2004
On October 14, 2004 at about 9:55 pm local time, a Raven Industries S-60A (balloon), registered CGGAX, was involved in an incident near Auburn, Maine (Auburn/Lewiston Muni Airport). It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's maneuver into a tree, which resulted in an inadvertent contact between a branch and a passenger.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 14, 2004 · about 9:55 pm local time
- Place
- Auburn, Maine · Auburn/Lewiston Muni Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raven Industries S-60A
- Registration
- CGGAX · no longer on the register · serial S60A-211
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the descent, the pilot elected to decelerate the balloon by brushing the basket through an apple tree. During the maneuver, a branch from the tree came in contact with one of the passenger's hands, cutting it. The accident was downgraded to an incident when it was learned that the passenger's injuries were minor.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 2,957 hours in all; 187 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 29, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 221 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 11, 2003; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 816 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Lewiston ME
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 pm from LEW, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
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.