Aerostar S-55A accident near Marana, Arizona, August 13, 1997
On August 13, 1997 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Aerostar S-55A (balloon), registered N3607B, was destroyed in an accident near Marana, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's in-flight planning/decision to continue his flight after striking a fence, and his inability to attain the proper climb rate, which subsequently led to the in-flight collision with the transmission power line.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 1997 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Marana, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerostar S-55A
- Registration
- N3607B · no longer on the register · serial S55A-3046
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the balloon departed from a field with one passenger during his second flight of the day and collided with a power line. He landed upwind of some nearby power lines during his first landing. He said that immediately after takeoff the balloon basket contacted and subsequently cleared a fence during the initial climb. The pilot stated in a postaccident interview that the flight should have been aborted after coming into contact with the fence, but he elected to continue. The balloon continued to climb but at a slow rate, even with the double burners. The balloon came into contact with the power line at 50 to 60 feet above ground level. The power line broke and came into contact with the fuel tank, which ignited the propane and propagated an in-flight fire.
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: 79 hours in all; 78 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 65 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 305 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 5, 1997; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,480 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:56 pm from TUS
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.