What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On January 26, 2002, about 0815 hours MST, a cameron balloons us, model N-145, N8004J made a hard landing in rough terrain about 13 nautical miles northwest of las vegas, Nevada. The flight originated at approximately 0715 from northwest las vegas. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. Sixpassengers were on board, three were injured seriously and three had minor injuries. The gondola had substantial damage. The balloon was operated by the pilot who did business as ultimate balloon adventures. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The passengers were fare paying and the flight was performed under 14 CFR part 91. The pilot did receive a weather briefing from the tower at north las vegas airport at liftoff. He launched a pibal from the liftoff site that indicated the low altitude surface wind was calm. The pilot did not receive a weather briefing from the reno fss nor a duats vendor on the evening of January 25 nor the morning of January 26. Initially the balloon drifted northwest at a low rate of speed. When the wind speed increased the pilot notified a ground crew member that he planned on landing soon. The balloon touched down twice but the pilot continued flying. The flight terminated after the balloon traveled approximately 13 nautical miles. While landing the balloon impacted the block wall surrounding a home and then touched down about 300 yards later in a rough ravine. The pilot and one passenger were ejected. The remaining five passengers stayed in the gondola as it slid to a stop.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JANUARY 26, 2002, ABOUT 0815 HOURS MST, A CAMERON BALLOONS US, MODEL N-145, N8004J MADE A HARD LANDING IN ROUGH TERRAIN ABOUT 13 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHWEST OF LAS VEGAS, NEVADA. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT APPROXIMATELY 0715 FROM NORTHWEST LAS VEGAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. SIXPASSENGERS WERE ON BOARD, THREE WERE INJURED SERIOUSLY AND THREE HAD MINOR INJURIES. THE GONDOLA HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE BALLOON WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT WHO DID BUSINESS AS ULTIMATE BALLOON ADVENTURES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PASSENGERS WERE FARE PAYING AND THE FLIGHT WAS PERFORMED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT DID RECEIVE A WEATHER BRIEFING FROM THE TOWER AT NORTH LAS VEGAS AIRPORT AT LIFTOFF. HE LAUNCHED A PIBAL FROM THE LIFTOFF SITE THAT INDICATED THE LOW ALTITUDE SURFACE WIND WAS CALM. THE PILOT DID NOT RECEIVE A WEATHER BRIEFING FROM THE RENO FSS NOR A DUATS VENDOR ON THE EVENING OF JANUARY 25 NOR THE MORNING OF JANUARY 26. INITIALLY THE BALLOON DRIFTED NORTHWEST AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED. WHEN THE WIND SPEED INCREASED THE PILOT NOTIFIED A GROUND CREW MEMBER THAT HE PLANNED ON LANDING SOON. THE BALLOON TOUCHED DOWN TWICE BUT THE PILOT CONTINUED FLYING. THE FLIGHT TERMINATED AFTER THE BALLOON TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 13 NAUTICAL MILES. WHILE LANDING THE BALLOON IMPACTED THE BLOCK WALL SURROUNDING A HOME AND THEN TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 300 YARDS LATER IN A ROUGH RAVINE. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE EJECTED. THE REMAINING FIVE PASSENGERS STAYED IN THE GONDOLA AS IT SLID 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.