20090131001989A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Camron V-90 · Lajunta, CO · January 31, 2009

Date: January 31, 2009 · 11:30 local
Place: Lajunta, CO
Phase of flight: Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N2097H
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN09CA159
Reported as: Camron V90
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 186 total186 in this make and model14 in the last 90 days

N2097HRegistered now · Cameron Balloons US V-90S/N 6505 · Built 2007 Airframe modelCameron Balloons US V-90 Engine modelNONENone

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Balloon launched from a field west of Colorado springs airport at 0730 on jan 31, 2009. It climbed to altitude of approximately 8500 MSL and drifted with the wind to the east. Balloon flew for 2 hours and 45 minutes. Pilot descended to prepare for landing. The winds in the area near la junta were 22 gusting to 28 mph. Pilot elected to land in open range land. Due to the gusting winds and downhill slope of the landing area the balloon landed hard and pitched forward. The pilot sustained a broken ankle when the basket of the balloon pitched forward onto its side. The pilot was flying solo. There was no damage to the balloon.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) BALLOON LAUNCHED FROM A FIELD WEST OF COLORADO SPRINGS AIRPORT AT 0730 ON JAN 31, 2009. IT CLIMBED TO ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 8500 MSL AND DRIFTED WITH THE WIND TO THE EAST. BALLOON FLEW FOR 2 HOURS AND 45 MINUTES. PILOT DESCENDED TO PREPARE FOR LANDING. THE WINDS IN THE AREA NEAR LA JUNTA WERE 22 GUSTING TO 28 MPH. PILOT ELECTED TO LAND IN OPEN RANGE LAND. DUE TO THE GUSTING WINDS AND DOWNHILL SLOPE OF THE LANDING AREA THE BALLOON LANDED HARD AND PITCHED FORWARD. THE PILOT SUSTAINED A BROKEN ANKLE WHEN THE BASKET OF THE BALLOON PITCHED FORWARD ONTO ITS SIDE. THE PILOT WAS FLYING SOLO. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN09CA159Accident · Serious injuriesData collectionFinal reportLa Junta, COThe pilot's failure to maintain a safe rate of descent during landing. Contributing to the accident was the strong surface winds.Jan 31, 2009 · Minor damage