# Accident 20011218038809A: Camron Z90, Mcintosh, NM, December 18, 2001

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 18, 2001, 08:45 local time
- Place: Mcintosh, NM
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.8501° N, 106.0399° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.8501&lon=-106.0399&mi=10
- Aircraft: N984ZS, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N984ZS) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cameron Balloons Z-90 (registry code 1880300, https://openairdocs.org/model/cameron-balloons-z-90) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CAMRON Z90
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 808 total, 500 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW02LA059](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA059) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20011218038809A

## Narrative

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

(.4) PRIOR TO DEPARTING FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY BALLOON FLIGHT, THE PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING FROM AN AUTOMATED FLIGHT SERVICE STATION. THE PILOT WAS BRIEFED THAT THE WIND SPEED WAS 28 MPH ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAINS THE FLIGHT WAS TO CROSS. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT "WE DECIDED THAT IT WAS A LITTLE FAST BUT DOABLE." THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN WEATHER INFORMATION FOR HIS DESTINATION PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT DUE TO THE LACK OF WEATHER REPORTING FACILITIES EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS. THE BALLOON DEPARTED WITH A LIGHT AND VARIABLE WIND. THE BALLOON ASCENDED TO 11,250 FEET MSL AND ITS GROUND SPEED INCREASED TO 52 MPH AS IT CROSSED OVER THE MOUNTAINS. AFTER CROSSING THE MOUNTAINS, THE BALLOON DESCENDED TO 500 FEET AGL, WHERE THE WIND SPEED WAS 32 MPH. AS THE FLIGHT CONTINUED, THE PILOT SELECTED A FIELD AND ATTEMPTED A HIGH WIND LANDING. DURING THE LANDING SEQUENCE THE PILOT AND A PASSENGER WERE EJECTED FROM THE BASKET. THE BALLOON THEN TOOK OFF AND ASCENDED TO 1,000 FEET WITH THE REMAINING PASSENGER, WHO WAS A BALLOON PILOT. THE PASSENGER TOOK CONTROL OF THE BALLOON AND LANDED SAFELY 6 MILES FROM WHERE THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE EJECTED.                                     (-23) ON 12/18/01, APPROXIMATELY 0845 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A CAMERON Z90 HOT AIR BALLOON (N884ZS) OWNED BY GALLES MOTOR COMPANY, ALBUQUERQUE, NM AND OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^; ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LANDED IN HIGH WINDS NEAR MCINTOSH, NM. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AS A RESULT OF THE HIGH-WIND LANDING WHILE THE OTHER TWO CREWMEMBERS ON THE AIRCRAFT WERE UNINJURED. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND HOLDS A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH A LIGHTER-THAN-AIR, BALLOON RATING. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT, WHICH DEPARTED ALBUQUERQUE, NM, UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.

## 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 FTW02LA059](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA059), Dec 18, 2001: Cameron Balloons Z-90 (N984ZS), Mcintosh, NM, no damage. Probable cause: inadvertent flight into adverse (high wind) weather conditions, which resulted in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the high wind weather condition.

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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