# Accident 19971010045221A: Arostr RX8, Albuquerque, NM, October 10, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 10, 1997, 08:40 local time
- Place: Albuquerque, NM
- Airport: Balloon Park
- Collision: Midair collision, first aircraft
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.0601° N, 106.6203° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0601&lon=-106.6203&mi=10
- Aircraft: N71415, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N71415) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerostar International RX 8 (registry code 7487008, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerostar-international-rx-8) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AROSTR RX8
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 200 total, 200 in this make and model, 23 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA009](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA009) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971010045221A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE TWO BALLOONS WERE PARTICIPATING IN THE ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, N1602R WAS DESCENDING AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET TO 300 FEET AGL. ANOTHER WITNESS STATED THAT N71415 WAS "MOVING TOWARDS N1602R ADN WAS CLEARLY DESCENDING RAPIDLY WHILE BURNING TO ARREST THE DESCENT." THE PILOT OF N1602R REPORTED THAT HE WAS DESCENDING WHEN THE "TOP OF MY BALLOON WAS HIT FROM ABOVE BY THE BOTTOM OF THE BASKET OF ANOTHER BALLOON". THE PILOT OF N71415 REPORTED SEEING N1602R "APPROACHING BELOW ME AT A SLIGHTLY QUICKER GROUND SPEED: THEN N1602R BEGAN TO ASCEND AND I BEGAN TO FIRE BOTH OF MY BURNERS." FAR 91.113(B) STATES THE "VIGILANCE SHALL BE MAINTAINED BY EACH PERSON OPERATING AN AIRCRAFT SO AS TO SEE AND AVOID OTHER AIRCRAFT." SEVERAL BALLOON INSTRUCTORS STATED THAT THE BALLOON COMMUNITY TEACHES THAT THE LOWER BALLOON HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN DURING THE COLLISION SEQUENCE REVEAL THAT AFTER SEPERATING. N71415 ROSE APPROXIMATELY 275 FEET, WHILE N1602R MAINTAINED ITS POSITION RELATIVE TO THE BALLOONS AROUND HIM.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW98LA009](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA009), Oct 10, 1997: Aerostar RX 8 (N71415), Albuquerque, NM, no damage. Probable cause: The failure of the pilot of the Aerostar RX 8, N71415, to follow procedures/directives.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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