What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On sight seeing flight. Sudden wind gust forced balloon across road into trees and hard landing. Blamed dust devil.(.4) during the landing phase of a local sightseeing balloon flight, a sudden gust of wind forced the balloon across a road into trees, after which there was a hard landing. Twenty-five miles to the northeast of the accident site a weather observation 24 minutes after the accident reported a windshift and frontal passage. (-23) approximately 20 feet prior to touchdown, the pilot of the hot air balloon encountered a "dust devil". The balloon began to act erratically. The pilot pulled the top out. The balloon contacted the ground and, according to witness statements, appeared to accelerate. The balloon hit several trees and drug a distance before coming to a stop.
As the FAA filed it
ON SIGHT SEEING FLIGHT. SUDDEN WIND GUST FORCED BALLOON ACROSS ROAD INTO TREES AND HARD LANDING. BLAMED DUST DEVIL.(.4) DURING THE LANDING PHASE OF A LOCAL SIGHTSEEING BALLOON FLIGHT, A SUDDEN GUST OF WIND FORCED THE BALLOON ACROSS A ROAD INTO TREES, AFTER WHICH THERE WAS A HARD LANDING. TWENTY-FIVE MILES TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE A WEATHER OBSERVATION 24 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT REPORTED A WINDSHIFT AND FRONTAL PASSAGE. (-23) APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT OF THE HOT AIR BALLOON ENCOUNTERED A "DUST DEVIL". THE BALLOON BEGAN TO ACT ERRATICALLY. THE PILOT PULLED THE TOP OUT. THE BALLOON CONTACTED THE GROUND AND, ACCORDING TO WITNESS STATEMENTS, APPEARED TO ACCELERATE. THE BALLOON HIT SEVERAL TREES AND DRUG A DISTANCE BEFORE COMING TO A STOP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9174Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.