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20091009020322I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · LBL 90ALBL · Albuquerque, NM · October 9, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 9, 2009 · 08:30 local
Place
Albuquerque, NM
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Midair collision, second aircraft
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N3021P
Reported as
LBL 90ALBL
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,400 total2,000 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days
N3021PRegistration cancelled Feb 13, 2018 · Lindstrand Balloons 90AS/N 5091 · Built 1998Airframe modelLindstrand Balloons 90AEngine 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.

At 0830 MDT on October 9, 2009 during competition at the Albuquerque international balloon fiesta, N5012U, and Aerostar RXS-8 hot air balloon, collided in flight with N3021P, a lindstrand 90A hot air balloon, causing minor damage to N3021P. The collision happened as both balloons approached a target area for a competition. Both balloons landed safely after the collision and there were no injuries to the pilots or passengers. Both balloons were piloted by their respective owners and both pilots hold commercial pilot certificates. The pilot of N3012P stated that he was abandoning his attempt to fly to the target area and had commenced a climb. A passenger on N5021U saw a balloon climbing below her aircraft and mentioned it to the pilot. The pilot of N5021U immediately turned on both burners in an attempt to climb away from N3021P. The occupants of N5021U also shouted to the lower balloon to warn them of their presence. The collision resulted in damage to three panels of N3021P, one of which was replaced and two of which were patched. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time of the incident and no VFR flight plan was filed.

As the FAA filed it

AT 0830 MDT ON OCTOBER 9, 2009 DURING COMPETITION AT THE ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA, N5012U, AND AEROSTAR RXS-8 HOT AIR BALLOON, COLLIDED IN FLIGHT WITH N3021P, A LINDSTRAND 90A HOT AIR BALLOON, CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO N3021P. THE COLLISION HAPPENED AS BOTH BALLOONS APPROACHED A TARGET AREA FOR A COMPETITION. BOTH BALLOONS LANDED SAFELY AFTER THE COLLISION AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOTS OR PASSENGERS. BOTH BALLOONS WERE PILOTED BY THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS AND BOTH PILOTS HOLD COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATES. THE PILOT OF N3012P STATED THAT HE WAS ABANDONING HIS ATTEMPT TO FLY TO THE TARGET AREA AND HAD COMMENCED A CLIMB. A PASSENGER ON N5021U SAW A BALLOON CLIMBING BELOW HER AIRCRAFT AND MENTIONED IT TO THE PILOT. THE PILOT OF N5021U IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON BOTH BURNERS IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AWAY FROM N3021P. THE OCCUPANTS OF N5021U ALSO SHOUTED TO THE LOWER BALLOON TO WARN THEM OF THEIR PRESENCE. THE COLLISION RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THREE PANELS OF N3021P, ONE OF WHICH WAS REPLACED AND TWO OF WHICH WERE PATCHED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND NO VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.