20131007020499I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cameron Balloons US O-90 · Albuquerque, NM · October 7, 2013

Date
October 7, 2013 · 09:00 local
Place
Albuquerque, NM
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N4111X
Reported as
Cameron Balloons US O-90
Reported engine
NONE NONE
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
144 total122 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

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.

On October 7, 2013 at approximately 9:00 am MDT, N4111X, a Cameron O-90 hot air balloon sustained minor damage when the balloon struck an air conditioner unit on a commercial building during a landing approach in gusty wind conditions. The private pilot and two passengers were uninjured in the incident. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR part 91 during the Albuquerque international balloon fiesta in visual meteorological conditions. A VFR flight plan had not been filed.

As the FAA filed it

ON OCTOBER 7, 2013 AT APPROXIMATELY 9:00 AM MDT, N4111X, A CAMERON O-90 HOT AIR BALLOON SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN THE BALLOON STRUCK AN AIR CONDITIONER UNIT ON A COMMERCIAL BUILDING DURING A LANDING APPROACH IN GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE UNINJURED IN THE INCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 DURING THE ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. A VFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD NOT BEEN FILED.