Raven S-66A accident near Little Compton, Rhode Island, September 30, 1984
On September 30, 1984 at about 12:10 pm local time, a Raven S-66A (balloon), registered N4272Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Little Compton, Rhode Island. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 7 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
- September 30, 1984 · about 12:10 pm local time
- Place
- Little Compton, Rhode Island
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raven S-66A
- Registration
- N4272Y · no longer on the register · serial S66A-140
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT BRUSHED BASKET AGAINST TREE TOPS AND BUSHES TO SLOW THE BALLOONS FORWARD SPEED. PLT PULLED DEFLATION PORT APRX 10 FT AGL OVER A MOWN HAY FIELD WITH AN 8-10 MPH HORIZONTAL, 100 FPM VERTICAL SPEED. BASKET BOUNCED AND GUST OF WIND CAUGHT DEFLATING ENVELOPE TIPPING THE BASKET CAUSING THE EDGE OF THE BASKET TO CONTACT THE GROUND FIRST. THE FLOOR OF THE BASKET WAS PULLED AWAY FROM THE SIDE WALLS OF THE BASKET. DURING THE FOLLOWING DRAG, SEVERAL PASSENGERS SLIPPED OUT OF THE SIDE OF THE BASKET.
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: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 670 hours in all; 205 in this make and model; 83 in the last 90 days; 205 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 205 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 11, 1984; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Westport MA at 12:20 pm
- Destination: Little Compton RI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.