# Incident 20190818014079I: Colt Balloons Ltd 160A, Lewiston, ME, August 18, 2019

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 18, 2019, 17:41 local time
- Place: Lewiston, ME
- Airport: Lewiston Me
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.1004° N, 70.2148° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Lewiston, ME, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.1004&lon=-70.2148&mi=10
- Aircraft: N976TC, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N976TC) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Colt Balloons 160A (registry code 2300160, https://openairdocs.org/model/colt-balloons-160a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: COLT BALLOONS LTD 160A
- People aboard: 7
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 361 total, 350 in this make and model, 3 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190818014079I

## Narrative

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

ON 08/23/2019 DURING THE GREAT FALLS BALLOON FESTIVAL AT LEWISTON AUBURN THE BALLOON DEPARTED THE LAUNCH SITE FLYING NORTHEAST AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 FEET. A SHORT TIME LATER THE PILOT LOCATED THE LANDING SITE AND STARTED A DESCENT WATCHING OTHER BALLOONISTS AS THEY LANDED IN THE FARMER'S FIELD. UPON APPROACHING THE LANDING SITE A GUST OF WIND HIT THE BALLOON CAUSING IT TO LAND HARD. THE BALLOON DRAGGED THE GROUND FOR A SHORT DISTANCE PICKING UP GRASS AND DIRT BUT ONLY RECEIVED MINOR SCRAPES ON ONE CORNER. ONE PASSENGER HAD A MINOR CUT ON THEIR FOREHEAD.  THERE APPEARED TO BE NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON'S BASKET.

## Other reports on N976TC (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20140719014539A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140719014539A), Jul 19, 2014: Colt Balloons Ltd 160A (N976TC), Clinton, MA, Minor damage. On July 19, 2014 at approximately 2000 hours, [privacy data omitted] was operating his balloon with six passengers on board for a sight seeing flight,…

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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