VH-FSR and VH-OOP – Mid-air collision between hot air balloons near Alice Springs Airport

Date & Time:

Jul 18, 2022

Type of aircraft:

Kavanagh Balloons E-260, registered VH-FSR (FSR), and Kavanagh Balloons B-400, registered VH-OOP (OOP).

Operator:

Red Centre Ballooning PTY LTD

Registration:

VH-FSR and VH-OOP

Survivors:

Yes

Schedule:

Hale, Northern Territory

Location:

Hale, Northern Territory

Total fatalities:

0

Total Occupants:

35

Circumstances:

A Kavanagh E-260 hot air balloon, registered VH-FSR (FSR), and a B-400 balloon, registered VH-OOP (OOP), were operating a balloon transport flight about 6 km south-east of Alice Springs Airport on July 18, 2022. Red Centre Ballooning flew both.

At 0700, FSR was flying at 900 ft AGL in a quicker north-easterly breeze, while OOP was 1,150 m ahead at 100 ft AGL in a slower westerly wind.

The FSR pilot descended to the lower-level wind (below 200 ft AGL) to decelerate the balloon. The FSR pilot wrongly assumed OOP was flying in the higher, quicker wind and estimated that FSR would descend behind OOP while maintaining sufficient spacing.

The FSR pilot realised OOP was flying lower and slower than expected during the descent and realised a collision was possible. FSR’s pilot controlled the descent to avoid a basket-to-envelope collision that could break the lower balloon’s envelope.

At 0702, the two balloons collided near their widest points. Balloons and people were unharmed. After the collision, the balloons split and flew without incident.