# Accident 19981010036789A: Arostr RX8, Albuquerque, NM, October 10, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 10, 1998, 08:30 local time - Place: Albuquerque, NM - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.0605° N, 106.6191° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0605&lon=-106.6191&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9105Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9105Z-2006-06-07) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Aerostar International RXS-8 (registry code 7487009, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerostar-international-rxs-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: 413 total, 67 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN99LA010](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99LA010) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981010036789A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON OCTOBER 10, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 1000 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AEROSTAR RXS8 BALLOON, N9105Z, WAS NOT DAMAGED DURING LANDING NEAR ALBUQUERQUE FIESTA PARK, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED; HOWEVER, ONE PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR, THE PILOT MADE A HARD LANDING. ONE PASSENGER BROKE HER RIGHT LEG AND FRACTURED HER RIGHT ANKLE. (.4)ON OCTOBER 10, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 0830 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, AS AEROSTAR RXS8 BALLOON, N9105Z, WAS NOT DAMAGED DURING A LANDING NEAR THE ALBUQUERQUE BALLOON FIESTA PARK, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED; HOWEVER, ONE PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE WIND WAS 2 TO 3 KNOTS AT THE TIME OF LAUNCH. AS SHE PREPARED TO LAND, THE WIND HAD INCREASED TO 12 TO 1 5 KNOTS. THE PILOT STATED THAT "THE LANDING SITES IN THE DIRECTION WE WERE HEADING WERE SMALL, SO I STARTED BRIEFING MY PASSENGERS ABOUT LANDING." SHE FURTHER INSTRUCTED HER PASSENGERS THAT, BECAUSE OF THE SMALL LANDING SITES AVAILABLE, "THEY MIGHT NEED TO LAND WITH THE TOP OUT AND THE PROPANE OFF." AFTER CLEARING SEVERAL UTILITY LINES AND TREES, THE PILOT DIRECTED A PASSENGER TO PULL THE TOP OUT OF THE BALLOON AND SHE TURNED OFF THE PROPANE FUEL. THE PILOT STATED THAT THEY "HIT THE GROUND FIRMLY AND STOPPED IN 20 FEET, THERE WAS NO BOUNCE." ON PASSENGER DISLOCATED HER ANKLE AND BROKE HER LEG UPON IMPACT. (-23) ON 10/10/98 AT 08:30 MDT, AN AEROSTAR, RX-S8 HOT AIR BALLOON (N9105Z)LANDED HARD AFTER A PLEASURE FLIGHT, INJURING ONE PASSENGER. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES SOUTH OF THE BALLOON FIESTA PARK, ALBUQUERQUE, NM. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED; HOWEVER ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A BROKEN LEG. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE AIRCRAFT IS REGISTERED TO THE JAMES W. MOORE TRUST, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND, MRS. MARY E. MOORE HOLDS COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE #585405793. ## 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 DEN99LA010](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99LA010), Oct 10, 1998: Aerostar RXS8 (N9105Z), Albuquerque, NM, no damage. Probable cause: The high wind condition and the pilot's subsequent intentional hard touchdown. A factor was the small landing area that was available to the pilot. ## Other reports on N9105Z (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19991106036959A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991106036959A), Nov 6, 1999: Arostr RXS8 (N9105Z), Artesia, NM. (.4) Prior to landing, the pilot observed the winds to be between 10 and 12 knots, and she briefed her passengers on high wind landing procedures, specifically… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.