NTSB Releases Preliminary Report In The Accident

The fabric on an airship covering the U.S. Open in Erin, WI earlier this month tore before the aircraft went down, the pilot told the NTSB.

In its preliminary report, the Board said that on June 15, 2017, at 1115 central daylight time, a Gefa-Flug AS-105-GD thermal airship, United Kingdom registration G-SUNA, collided with the terrain in Erin, Wisconsin, following an inflight envelope panel failure. The commercial pilot was seriously injured, and the thermal airship was destroyed. The airship was registered to and operated by AirSign LTD, as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 business flight. Visual flight rules conditions existed near the accident site at the time of the accident, and a flight plan had not been filed. The local flight departed from the Erin Aero Airport (WN75) at 1100, and was returning to the airport when the accident occurred.

The accident occurred on the second flight of the day. Prior to takeoff on the accident flight, the airship was fueled and two of the propane tanks were swapped out with full tanks. The airship departed for the aerial advertising flight and shortly after takeoff, the pilot radioed the ground crew that he was returning because the wind was too strong.

Following the accident, the pilot reported to law enforcement, that he was at an altitude of about 1,000 ft above ground level (agl) when he decided to return to land. He was approaching the airstrip and at an altitude of about 200 ft (agl), he encountered a thermal which increased his altitude to 500 ft.

He vented the envelope to descend and heard an envelope panel tear. Seconds later, he heard another panel tear. The pilot turned off the fuel to the burners and vented the envelope, but the front section of the envelope collapsed around the burners and caught fire. The airship descended in a nose-down attitude until it impacted the terrain.

The pilot parachuted out of the aircraft before it impacted terrain. He sustained serious injuries, according to the report.

(Image from file)

FMI: Preliminary Report