Human Error To Blame For Presidio County Blimp Crash
By: Dylan Brooks
Updated: June 5, 2012
PRESIDIO COUNTY -- Human error is to blame for a United States Air Force surveillance blimp crash in Presidio County.
A recently released report on the February 14th crash indicates the flight director for the aerostat blimp misread a high wind warning. The director reportedly thought the warning was a cancellation of a previous high wind watch.
The 210' x 70' radar balloon -- which was connected to the ground by a tether -- soon proceeded to nosedive 12,000 feet from its aerial surveillance post onto private property between Marfa and Valentine.
Wind gusts over 60 mph reportedly brought the aerostat blimp down.
No one was injured in the wreck, but the crash caused $8.8 million in damages.
The Air Force had been using the aerostat blimp to monitor low flying aircraft near the U.S.-Mexico border for illegal activities (including drug smuggling) for 15 years before it crashed.
A recently released report on the February 14th crash indicates the flight director for the aerostat blimp misread a high wind warning. The director reportedly thought the warning was a cancellation of a previous high wind watch.
The 210' x 70' radar balloon -- which was connected to the ground by a tether -- soon proceeded to nosedive 12,000 feet from its aerial surveillance post onto private property between Marfa and Valentine.
Wind gusts over 60 mph reportedly brought the aerostat blimp down.
No one was injured in the wreck, but the crash caused $8.8 million in damages.
The Air Force had been using the aerostat blimp to monitor low flying aircraft near the U.S.-Mexico border for illegal activities (including drug smuggling) for 15 years before it crashed.
