2010 Gordon Bennett Race Information and
Summary
GORDON BENNETT 2010 - Latest
News!
PRESS RELEASE WEDNESDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER 2010
News Announcement 19.00 GMT, Gordon Bennett
Control Centre
The balloon flying in the Gordon Bennett race
designated USA2, registration N801NM is still
missing as night falls. The pilots are American
citizens, Richard Abruzzo and Carol Rymer-Davis.
At 05.58Z this morning (29th September) we
received the last signal from the tracker
device, which normally gives us the balloon
position every 15 minutes. This position is
shown on the web site
www.gordonbennett2010.com. We were contacted
around that time also by Brindisi Air Traffic
Control who
had lost contact with the balloon. Mr. Luc
Trullemans, meteorologist, has had a
conversation with one of the pilots at 06.05Z.
No contact has been established since. The
balloon is equipped with satellite telephone,
VHF
radios, radar transponder and two mobile
telephones. It has not been possible to make
contact on any of these. Thunderstorms
were present in the area.
A search and rescue operation has been launched
by the Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination
Centre (MRCC) involving several aircraft and a
fast patrol boat. The Croatian authorities and
all shipping in the area have also
been notified. Nothing has been found so far and
no signal has been detected from the Emergency
Location Transmitter, which should activate on
contact with water. We have been able to supply
the MRCC with some information on the safety
equipment carried and technical aspects of the
balloon. The balloon is equipped with survival
suits, lifejackets and two single-person life
rafts.
Nineteen other balloons were flying in the event
and we have confirmation that all of these have
landed safely and all other pilots are safe and
well.
We are hoping that good news will come, but are
becoming increasingly concerned as nightfall
approaches. We are in close contact with Richard
and Carol’s families. The search will be
scaled down overnight, but will be resumed at
first light. There will be no further bulletins
until the search resumes tomorrow.
Don Cameron
Flight Director
54th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett
|
2010 Gordon Bennett Pictures courtesy of: Phil
Hooper. All photo's copyright: www.philsballoons.co.uk
Position as of Wednesday Morning at 6:30 am cst.
For Live Tracking use the following link:
http://www.gordonbennett2010.com/tracking