# Accident 20030711018449A: Natbal 858, Louisville, CO, July 11, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 11, 2003, 07:30 local time
- Place: Louisville, CO
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.9639° N, 105.1272° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.9639&lon=-105.1272&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9011J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9011J-2018-01-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: National Ballooning 858 (registry code 6113320, https://openairdocs.org/model/national-ballooning-858) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: NATBAL 858
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,600 total, 1,600 in this make and model, 11 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN03LA126](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03LA126) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030711018449A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON JULY 11TH, 2003 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:30 AM LOCAL TIME, HOT AIR BALLOON, REGISTRATION NUMBER N9011J, PILOTED BY MR. JAMES B. DUTROW, IMPACTED THE GROUND DURING A TWENTY KNOT GUST AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE BALLOON. AT THE TIME THERE WERE TWO PASSENGERS, THE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURY AND THE TWO PASSENGERS RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. DURING THE LANDING, A LARGE DOWN-DRAFT OF APPROXIMATELY TWENTY KNOTS WAS ENCOUNTERED. THE PILOT TRIED TO OVERCOME THE DOWN-DRAFT WITH BOTH BURNERS, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE BASKET HIT A FENCE, THE PILOT PULLED THE BALLOON DUMP, AND THE FEMALE PASSENGER FELL OUT OF THE BASKET. THE BALLOON BOUNCED AGAIN ON THE GROUND, THE PILOT AND OTHER PASSENGER WERE THROWN FROM THE BASKET. THE BALLOON ENDED UP DRAPED OVER A HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINE AND SHORTED IT OUT. THE BASKET WAS DESTROYED AND THE ENVELOPE WAS DAMAGED.

## 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 DEN03LA126](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03LA126), Jul 11, 2003: National Ballooning 858 (N9011J), Louisville, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inability to control the balloon. Contributing factors include the high winds, the attempted remedial action by the pilot, the building, fence, and transmission wires.

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.