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Atlas / NTSB / ATL83AA059

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event ATL83AA059

1982-12-11 SAVANNAH, Georgia, United States Airport · SAV Fatal 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N8001Q

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

AVIAN BALLOON MAGNUM IX

Year of manufacture

2001

Engine

NONE NONE

Seats / Engines

8 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

20010612

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S AAE467

Registrant of record

NORTHERN LIGHT BALLOON EXPEDITIONS

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

PLT REPORTED HE WAS ON A MISSED APPROACH & WAS RETURNING TO CHARLESTON "HEADING 360 DEGREES..." THE ACFT CRASHED ABOUT 1/4 MI SOUTH & 100 FT SHORT OF THE DEPARTURE END OF RWY 27. THE WRECKAGE SCATTER PATTERN WAS ORIENTED ON A HEADING OF 155 DEG. MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURES SPECIFY A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN VIA A 325 DEG HEADING. THE LEFT ENG PROP DRIVE GEAR SHAFT HAD EVIDENCE OF BOTH BENDING & TORSIONAL FAILURE LOADS. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF MACHINING OR ROTATIONAL SMEARING.2 OF THE 3 PROP BLADE TIPS WERE BENT AFT ABOUT THE BLADE FACE. THE LEFT TURBOCHARGER HAD A TENSION FAILURE OF THE TURBINE WHEEL SHAFT. NO SMEAR MARKS WERE NOTED ON THE FRACTURE FACE. SINGLE TURBINE BLADE IMPACT MARKS WERE NOTED ON THEHOUSING. THE #1 TACH NEEDLE INDICATED 900 RPM & THE #2 TACH NEEDLE INDICATED 1900 RPM. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1982_ATL83AA059.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.