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1989 Alice Springs hot air balloon crash

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was reported at the time as being unique to the Northern Territory. The judge found that the pilot had "failed to keep a proper lookout for a period of 30 seconds (during which the other balloon was hidden from view) and that the failure seriously endangered the lives of those below". During his 13-week trial, the court was told that Sanby had outlaid about $ 1 million of borrowed money to get into the new commercial hot-air ballooning industry, and that business at Toddy's Safari Ballooning was booming.
190:"I could see one of the balloons rising quite fast under another balloon. The lower balloon came up and hit the other one. Its top was touching the basket and it was shaking the passengers around. A rip appeared at the top of the balloon and it started to move away. It wasn't a very rapid movement. It moved away slowly but you knew it was in trouble. The pilot tried frantically to blast hot air into the stricken 'chute as the balloon lost height but there didn't appear to be any panic." 214:(BASI) found that the operator of the upper balloon, the operator of the ballooning company to which both balloons belonged, had failed to give way to the lower balloon as required by the company's operations manual. The investigation report said that the upper balloon was found to be missing the mandatory instrument package and that its pilot had refused to cooperate with investigators. Both balloons were fitted with 238:
sentenced the pilot of the upper balloon, Michael Sanby, to two years' jail, with an eight-month non-parole period, after an eight-man, four-woman jury had found him guilty of committing a dangerous act. He was found not guilty on 13 charges of manslaughter. The charge of committing a "dangerous act"
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The investigation found also that the pilot of the lower balloon, which crashed, had failed to properly assess the position of the upper balloon before ascending in close proximity to it. The investigation reported that the balloon plunged 2000 feet. The report said safety measures flowing from its
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Another news report said that ten bodies, arms interlinked, were found in the balloon's gondola. Three others were nearby in the sand, having apparently been ejected. Four balloons were in the air at the time of the accident. The pilot of one of the other balloons had made a radio call to alert the
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of the lower balloon engulfed the basket of the upper balloon, causing a tear in the envelope. The lower balloon hovered briefly, before rapidly deflating and plunging to the ground at high speed, killing its pilot and all twelve passengers. One body was reportedly thrown clear of the basket. The
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The tear in the stricken balloon's red and black envelope was described as being the size of a bed sheet, and the balloon crashed between two small trees in open scrubland about 16 kilometres from
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The descent reportedly lasted 51 seconds. Witness statements said the balloon "folded and fell to earth" and that it "fell to the ground like a streamer". A tourist in another balloon said,
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killed 19 people. As of May 2023, it remains the deadliest ever ballooning accident in Australia, and the third-deadliest worldwide, surpassed only by the Egypt crash and a
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before impact. The male pilot and ten of the passengers were Australian. Six of the passengers were male and six female. One male passenger was
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The accident was the result of a mid-air collision at 6:38 am, local time. One balloon ascended, colliding with another balloon above it. The
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emergency services. Passengers of the other balloons were treated in hospital for shock on their return to Alice Springs.
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The flight took off at Santa Teresa Road, 29 kilometres south east of Alice Springs.
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radios operating on the same channel, but neither pilot contacted the other.
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Peter Hughes; Christine Rau; Malcolm Brown (13 August 1989).
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Aviation accidents and incidents in the Northern Territory
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Sanby's conviction was subsequently overturned on appeal.
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who lived in Monaco. All of the passengers were adults.
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Accidents and incidents involving balloons and airships
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investigation were now being implemented and that the
402:"Balloon crash pilots both broke rules, says report" 292: 465:. Northern Territory Supreme Court. Archived from 334: 30:A hot air balloon similar to the accident balloon 1056: 370: 352: 931: 518: 429:. Australian Associated Press. Archived from 414: 938: 924: 749:Pakistan International Airlines Flight 404 629:Evergreen International Airlines Flight 17 525: 511: 420: 24: 499:– ATSB official report into the incident. 1065:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1989 386:. Reuters/AP. 14 August 1989. p. 4. 319: 303:"13 die when balloon drops from the sky" 19:1989 Alice Springs hot air balloon crash 1057: 399: 287:As posted on www.hotairballoons.com.au 919: 809:Soviet Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 crash 506: 421:Mackinolty, Chips (3 December 1992). 378:"13 die in hot air balloon collision" 155:that claimed the lives of 16 people. 1080:Disasters in the Northern Territory 729:Alice Springs hot air balloon crash 13: 739:China Eastern Airlines Flight 5510 400:Hughes, Peter (29 November 1989). 263: 212:Bureau of Air Safety Investigation 179:and another male passenger was an 149:balloon accident near Luxor, Egypt 14: 1121: 1105:Tourism in the Northern Territory 484: 348:. AP. 14 August 1989. p. 3a. 342:"13 die in hot-air balloon crash" 320:Robinson, Paul (27 August 1989). 272:"13 Die In 1,000m Balloon Plunge" 153:balloon accident in Texas in 2016 535:Aviation accidents and incidents 236:Northern Territory Supreme Court 205: 1100:August 1989 events in Australia 1095:1980s in the Northern Territory 423:"Balloon Disaster Pilot Jailed" 759:Cubana de Aviación Flight 9046 699:Philippine Airlines Flight 124 451: 1: 327:The Sunday Age Agenda section 257: 226:should improve surveillance. 1012:List of ballooning accidents 252:List of ballooning accidents 229: 7: 1110:1989 disasters in Australia 869:Angola Lockheed L-100 crash 719:Olympic Aviation Flight 545 599:Flying Tiger Line Flight 66 589:Independent Air Flight 1851 245: 158: 10: 1126: 889:United Express Flight 2415 689:United Airlines Flight 232 659:Surinam Airways Flight 764 609:United Airlines Flight 811 44:13 August 1989 at 6:38 am 1004: 957: 898: 829:China Airlines Flight 204 579:Germany mid-air collision 550: 497:. ATSB. 28 November 1989. 461:MICHAEL WINSTON SANBY v R 445:www.hotairballoons.com.au 427:The Sydney Morning Herald 407:The Sydney Morning Herald 171:pilot had turned off the 125: 117: 109: 101: 91: 83: 67: 56: 40: 35: 23: 965:Alice Springs, Australia 360:"Balloon crash kills 13" 224:Civil Aviation Authority 947:Accidents and incidents 619:Air Ontario Flight 1363 135:On 13 August 1989, two 1041:23.98333°S 134.05722°E 971:Carterton, New Zealand 639:Transbrasil Flight 801 559:Air battle near Tobruk 192: 849:Korean Air Flight 175 839:Aeroflot Flight 37577 709:Korean Air Flight 803 569:Kegworth air disaster 346:The Milwaukee Journal 330:. pp. 1 & 2. 276:Sydney Morning Herald 196:Alice Springs Airport 188: 1046:-23.98333; 134.05722 819:TAN-SAHSA Flight 414 679:Belgium MiG-23 crash 669:Interflug Flight 102 322:"Death at the Alice" 216:ultra high frequency 1037: /  989:Lockhart, Texas, US 977:Ljubljana, Slovenia 907:►   1990 901:1988   ◄ 779:Partnair Flight 394 433:on 30 December 2012 20: 1090:Mid-air collisions 904:    859:Avianca Flight 203 469:on 23 October 2013 383:The Glasgow Herald 145:Northern Territory 87:Toddy's Ballooning 77:Northern Territory 18: 1020: 1019: 913: 912: 799:USAir Flight 5050 133: 132: 62:mid-air collision 1117: 1052: 1051: 1049: 1048: 1047: 1042: 1038: 1035: 1034: 1033: 1030: 951:hot-air balloons 940: 933: 926: 917: 916: 905: 769:Varig Flight 254 545: 544: 542: 527: 520: 513: 504: 503: 498: 496: 479: 478: 476: 474: 455: 449: 448: 440: 438: 418: 412: 411: 397: 388: 387: 374: 368: 367: 356: 350: 349: 338: 332: 331: 317: 311: 310: 307:The Daily Record 299: 290: 289: 284: 282: 267: 137:hot air balloons 60:Hot-air balloon 28: 21: 17: 1125: 1124: 1120: 1119: 1118: 1116: 1115: 1114: 1055: 1054: 1045: 1043: 1039: 1036: 1031: 1028: 1026: 1024: 1023: 1021: 1016: 1000: 953: 944: 914: 909: 903: 894: 893: 892: 891: 886: 882: 881: 876: 872: 871: 866: 862: 861: 856: 852: 851: 846: 842: 841: 836: 832: 831: 826: 822: 821: 816: 812: 811: 806: 802: 801: 796: 792: 791: 786: 782: 781: 776: 772: 771: 766: 762: 761: 756: 752: 751: 746: 742: 741: 736: 732: 731: 726: 722: 721: 716: 712: 711: 706: 702: 701: 696: 692: 691: 686: 682: 681: 676: 672: 671: 666: 662: 661: 656: 652: 651: 646: 642: 641: 636: 632: 631: 626: 622: 621: 616: 612: 611: 606: 602: 601: 596: 592: 591: 586: 582: 581: 576: 572: 571: 566: 562: 561: 556: 546: 540: 538: 533: 531: 494: 490: 487: 482: 472: 470: 457: 456: 452: 436: 434: 419: 415: 398: 391: 376: 375: 371: 358: 357: 353: 340: 339: 335: 318: 314: 301: 300: 293: 280: 278: 268: 264: 260: 248: 232: 208: 161: 31: 12: 11: 5: 1123: 1113: 1112: 1107: 1102: 1097: 1092: 1087: 1082: 1077: 1072: 1067: 1018: 1017: 1015: 1014: 1008: 1006: 1002: 1001: 999: 998: 992: 986: 980: 974: 968: 961: 959: 955: 954: 943: 942: 935: 928: 920: 911: 910: 899: 896: 895: 887: 884: 883: 879:KLM Flight 867 877: 874: 873: 867: 864: 863: 857: 854: 853: 847: 844: 843: 837: 834: 833: 827: 824: 823: 817: 814: 813: 807: 804: 803: 797: 794: 793: 789:UTA Flight 772 787: 784: 783: 777: 774: 773: 767: 764: 763: 757: 754: 753: 747: 744: 743: 737: 734: 733: 727: 724: 723: 717: 714: 713: 707: 704: 703: 697: 694: 693: 687: 684: 683: 677: 674: 673: 667: 664: 663: 657: 654: 653: 649:EAS Flight 602 647: 644: 643: 637: 634: 633: 627: 624: 623: 617: 614: 613: 607: 604: 603: 597: 594: 593: 587: 584: 583: 577: 574: 573: 567: 564: 563: 557: 554: 553: 552: 551: 548: 547: 530: 529: 522: 515: 507: 501: 500: 486: 485:External links 483: 481: 480: 450: 413: 389: 369: 364:Record Journal 351: 333: 312: 291: 261: 259: 256: 255: 254: 247: 244: 231: 228: 207: 204: 160: 157: 139:collided near 131: 130: 127: 123: 122: 119: 115: 114: 111: 107: 106: 103: 99: 98: 93: 89: 88: 85: 81: 80: 69: 65: 64: 58: 54: 53: 42: 38: 37: 33: 32: 29: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1122: 1111: 1108: 1106: 1103: 1101: 1098: 1096: 1093: 1091: 1088: 1086: 1083: 1081: 1078: 1076: 1075:Alice Springs 1073: 1071: 1068: 1066: 1063: 1062: 1060: 1053: 1050: 1013: 1010: 1009: 1007: 1005:Related lists 1003: 996: 993: 990: 987: 984: 981: 978: 975: 972: 969: 966: 963: 962: 960: 956: 952: 948: 941: 936: 934: 929: 927: 922: 921: 918: 908: 902: 897: 890: 880: 870: 860: 850: 840: 830: 820: 810: 800: 790: 780: 770: 760: 750: 740: 730: 720: 710: 700: 690: 680: 670: 660: 650: 640: 630: 620: 610: 600: 590: 580: 570: 560: 549: 536: 528: 523: 521: 516: 514: 509: 508: 505: 493: 489: 488: 468: 464: 462: 454: 447: 446: 443:As posted on 432: 428: 424: 417: 409: 408: 403: 396: 394: 385: 384: 379: 373: 365: 361: 355: 347: 343: 337: 329: 328: 323: 316: 308: 304: 298: 296: 288: 277: 273: 266: 262: 253: 250: 249: 243: 240: 237: 234:In 1992, the 227: 225: 219: 217: 213: 206:Investigation 203: 199: 197: 191: 187: 184: 182: 178: 174: 169: 164: 156: 154: 150: 146: 142: 141:Alice Springs 138: 128: 124: 120: 116: 112: 108: 104: 100: 97: 96:Alice Springs 94: 92:Flight origin 90: 86: 82: 78: 74: 73:Alice Springs 70: 66: 63: 59: 55: 51: 47: 43: 39: 34: 27: 22: 16: 1022: 995:Luxor, Egypt 983:Luxor, Egypt 964: 728: 471:. 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Index


ACST
UTC+9:30
mid-air collision
Alice Springs
Northern Territory
Alice Springs
hot air balloons
Alice Springs
Northern Territory
balloon accident near Luxor, Egypt
balloon accident in Texas in 2016
envelope
gas burners
Danish
Italian
Alice Springs Airport
Bureau of Air Safety Investigation
ultra high frequency
Civil Aviation Authority
Northern Territory Supreme Court
List of ballooning accidents
"13 Die In 1,000m Balloon Plunge"


"13 die when balloon drops from the sky"
"Death at the Alice"
The Sunday Age Agenda section
"13 die in hot-air balloon crash"
"Balloon crash kills 13"

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