Raven S-66A accident near Naples, Florida, November 5, 1987
On November 5, 1987 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Raven S-66A (balloon), registered N4094G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Naples, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 5, 1987 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Naples, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raven S-66A
- Registration
- N4094G · no longer on the register · serial S66A126
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER LIFTOFF WITH THE DEFLATION PANEL PARTIALLY OPEN, THE FLT CONTINUED TOWARDS THE LANDING LOCATION. WITH A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT ESTABLISHED, THE PLT REALIZED THAT THE BALLOON WOULD NOT CLEAR THE POWERLINES THAT WERE AHEAD OF THE LANDING LOCATION. HE THEN PULLED THE DEFLATION PANEL CORD, AFTER WHICH THE BALLOON DESCENDED RAPIDLY. THE GONDOLA TOUCHED DOWN AFTER WHICH THE ENVELOPE FELL ACROSS THE POWERLINES.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 26,030 hours in all; 162 in this make and model; 375 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 136 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 21, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Unknown UNKNOWN (type not recorded); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:54 pm from FMY, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.