American Blimp Corp. A-1-50 accident near Quincy, Florida, April 16, 1998
On April 16, 1998 at about 7:30 pm local time, a American Blimp Corp. A-1-50 (airship), registered N151LG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Quincy, Florida (Quincy Municipal airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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 and groundcrew chief's failure to properly evaluate wind conditions prior to attempting to moor the blimp.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 1998 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Quincy, Florida · Quincy Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Blimp Corp. A-1-50
- Registration
- N151LG · no longer on the register · serial 102
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot expected the winds to be from the south at 12 to 17 knots. While approaching the ground based mast for mooring from the north, with the groundcrew in control of the blimp, a gust of wind from the right, estimated to be at about 30 knots, acted on the blimp blowing it toward trees to the east. The pilot attempted to regain control and avoid the trees by adding full engine power. This was unsuccessful and the blimp contacted the trees and the air bag was torn open. The gondola descended and landed hard causing the right landing gear to collapse.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: airship; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 9,146 hours in all; 440 in this make and model; 157 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 8,600 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 464 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 16, 1998; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,863 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1G6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Tallahassee FL at 5:00 pm
- Destination: 2J9
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 12 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from TLH, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.