# Incident 20051002023239I: Balbau NL1000STU, Friend, NE, October 2, 2005

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 2, 2005, 19:00 local time
- Place: Friend, NE
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.6506° N, 97.2842° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Friend, NE, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.6506&lon=-97.2842&mi=10
- Aircraft: N396WB, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N396WB) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Ballonbau Worner NL-1000/STU (registry code 1070101, https://openairdocs.org/model/ballonbau-worner-nl-1000-stu) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BALBAU NL1000STU
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,500 total, 30 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20051002023239I

## Narrative

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

(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS PARTICIPATING IN A GAS BALLOON RACE FROM ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, TO MINNESOTA. OVER KANSAS, THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXPERIENCED HEAVY DOWNDRAFTS THAT CAUSED HIM TO RELEASE MOST OF HIS SAND BALLAST. ONCE OVER NEBRASKA, HE DECIDED HE NEEDED TO LAND IN DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS AND NOT CONTINUE INTO NIGHT CONDITIONS FOR SAFETY, DUE TO NOT HAVING ANY BALLAST LEFT. THE WINDS IN NEBRASKA AT THAT TIME WERE STILL VERY GUSTY, GUSTING TO OVER 30 KNOTS. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SELECTED A FIELD NEAR FRIEND, NEBRASKA, TO LAND AND DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS MADE A HARD LANDING. THE PILOT'S ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SHOULDER WAS INJURED IN A CAR ACCIDENT SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO BEING DISLOCATED WHICH OCCURRED DURING THE HARD LANDING. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS TREATED AT THE FRIEND HOSPITAL'S EMERGENCY ROOM AND RELEASED. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON, PROPERTY OR INJURY TO THE ONE PASSENGER THAT WAS ABOARD.

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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