Burner Flameout at 1,800 Feet
A private pilot is climbing through 1,800 ft AGL on a calm morning with the wind from the west at 5 knots when the main burner begins to sputter. The flame flickers and goes out. The pilot smells propane. The balloon has two 10-gallon propane tanks, both tank valves open, a fuel pressure gauge, and a backup whisper burner. The outside temperature is 4°C. The tanks were filled two days ago and are about half full. The pilot has a handheld radio and is 6 NM from a nontowered airport with a 2,000-ft grass strip. Below are open farm fields, but a line of trees and power lines lies 0.5 NM to the east. The balloon is drifting east at 5 knots. The GPS shows a 1,200-ft clearing 0.7 NM ahead. With the burner off, the pilot estimates a descent rate of 300 fpm initially, increasing to 500 fpm.
1. What are the most likely causes of the burner sputtering and flameout, and what immediate actions should the pilot take?
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Likely causes include low propane pressure from cold (4°C), an iced or malfunctioning regulator, a tank valve or fuel-line problem, or one tank running empty while the other is not feeding. The smell of propane means fuel is escaping unburned. Immediate actions: stop troubleshooting at low altitude; switch to the backup burner and/or the other tank, check that the selected tank valve is fully open, and attempt a relight only after allowing any accumulated propane to clear. Keep the balloon under control and identify a landing field. At 1,800 ft AGL the pilot has only a few minutes, so the priority is a safe landing, not diagnosing the system. If the backup burner works, use it to arrest the descent and reach a better field; if not, land in the best available open area.
2. The pilot has a clearing 0.7 NM ahead and is drifting east at 5 knots. Calculate the time to reach the clearing and compare it with the estimated descent time. What should the pilot do?
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Time to clearing = 0.7 NM ÷ 5 knots = 0.14 hour, or about 8.4 minutes. Descent time from 1,800 ft: at 500 fpm, 3.6 minutes; at 300 fpm, 6 minutes. Even at the slower rate, the balloon reaches the ground before it drifts to the clearing. Without lift, the pilot cannot stretch the glide. The pilot should try the backup burner immediately. If it produces lift, level off or slow the descent and drift to the clearing, then land. If it does not, the pilot must pick the best field below now, away from the trees and power lines to the east, and accept a landing short of the clearing. The 1,200-ft clearing is not a guaranteed destination; it is only useful if the backup burner works.
3. What radio call and decision should the pilot make? Include the role of the handheld radio and the nearest airport.
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Make a brief emergency radio call on 121.5 or the airport CTAF: 'Mayday, balloon N12345, 1,800 feet AGL, 6 miles west of the airport, burner failure, landing in a field.' Use MAYDAY because the balloon is descending with an unknown ability to arrest it. Do not spend time trying to reach the airport 6 NM away: at 5 knots that is about 72 minutes, far beyond the available altitude. The handheld radio is useful for alerting others and for rescue if needed, but it does not change the landing decision. After landing, secure the burner and tanks, account for all occupants, and notify the operator or FAA if required. The pilot should also avoid the power lines to the east and choose a field with a clear approach.