19961123036349I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Head AX888HEAD · El Paso, TX · November 23, 1996

Date: November 23, 1996 · 08:30 local
Place: El Paso, TX
Phase of flight: Final Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8257U
Reported as: Head AX888HEAD
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 962 total15 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N8257URegistration cancelled Jan 29, 2018 · Head Balloons AX8-88S/N 246 Airframe modelHead Balloons AX8-88

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: during landing approach the balloon suddenly dropped from wind shear. The pilot burned all the way down to minimize fall. On first bounce one passenger fell out. On second bounce second passenger got a cut above the eye. Then came to rest in grass. Passenger rochelle gross treated as out patient. None of the FAA responsibilities were at fault. Balloon hit shear & dropped.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: DURING LANDING APPROACH THE BALLOON SUDDENLY DROPPED FROM WIND SHEAR. THE PILOT BURNED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO MINIMIZE FALL. ON FIRST BOUNCE ONE PASSENGER FELL OUT. ON SECOND BOUNCE SECOND PASSENGER GOT A CUT ABOVE THE EYE. THEN CAME TO REST IN GRASS. PASSENGER ROCHELLE GROSS TREATED AS OUT PATIENT. NONE OF THE FAA RESPONSIBILITIES WERE AT FAULT. BALLOON HIT SHEAR & DROPPED.