# Accident 20050413007279A: Camron A210, Marana, AZ, April 13, 2005

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 13, 2005, 06:45 local time
- Place: Marana, AZ
- Airport: Marana Northwest Regnl Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.3333° N, 111.0583° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.3333&lon=-111.0583&mi=10
- Aircraft: N210EW, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N210EW-2017-04-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cameron Balloons US A-210 (registry code 1880215, https://openairdocs.org/model/cameron-balloons-us-a-210) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CAMRON A210
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 2,037 total, 300 in this make and model, 55 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX05LA135](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05LA135) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050413007279A

## Narrative

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

(-23) BALLOON LIFTED OFF ON A COMMERCIAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT WITH NINE PASSENGERS AND TWO CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD. THE PRIVATE RATED BALLOON PILOT WAS AT THE CONTROLS, BEING SUPERVISED BY THE COMMERCIAL RATED BALLOON PILOT. ABOUT 15 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, AS THE BALLOON APPROACHED A MOUNTAIN RIDGE, A STRONG TAIL WIND BEGAN TO ACCELERATE THE BALLOON RAPIDLY TOWARD A ROCKY CRAG ON THE RIDGE. THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS AND STARTED USING TWO BURNERS IN AN EFFORT TO CLEAR THE RIDGE. THEY FAILED TO CLEAR THE RIDGE AND IMPACTED THE ROCKY OUTCROPPING ABOUT EIGHT FEET BELOW THE TOP. THE BASKET BOUNCED TWICE, WENT UP TO A HORIZONTAL POSITION AND THE BALLOON WAS DRAGGED OVER THE TOP OF THE RIDGE RIGHTING ITSELF ON THE OTHER SIDE. IT DRIFTED A MILE AND A HALF TO A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN ON THE DESERT FLOOR. ONE PERSON WAS FATALLY INJURED, FOUR WERE CRITICALLY INJURED, FOUR HAD MINOR INJURIES AND THE TWO CREWMEMBERS WERE UNINJURED. ALL INJURIES OCCURRED WHEN THE BASKET IMPACTED THE ROCKY OUTCROPPING ON THE RIDGE. THE IMPACT WAS SO HARD THAT EVERY WELD IN THE STAINLESS STEEL TUBING STRUCTURE WAS BROKEN AND THERE WAS SEVERE BREAKAGE OF THE WICKER AT THE POINTS OF IMPACT.

## 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 LAX05LA135](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05LA135), Apr 13, 2005: Cameron Balloons A-210 (N210EW), Marana, AZ, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: the failure of the flying pilot to attain a proper climb rate and maintain an adequate clearance from rising terrain. Also causal was the commercial pilot's inadequate supervision of the flight and…

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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