20200918020289A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Ultramagic S A N-500 · Peoria, AZ · September 18, 2020

Date: September 18, 2020 · 08:00 local
Place: Peoria, AZ
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N500UM
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR20LA333
Reported as: Ultramagic S A N-500
Reported engine: NONE NONE
People aboard: 21
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 3
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,499 total174 in this make and model36 in the last 90 days

N500UMRegistered now · Ultramagic S A N-500S/N 500/18 · Built 2019 Airframe modelUltramagic S A N-500 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.

privacy data omitted Launched a hot air balloon tour from an off airport location near north valley parkway/dove valley road to another off airport location near n lake pleasant parkway/w carefree hwy. there were 20 passengers and 1 pilot onboard. During approach to landing, the hot air balloon encountered unforecasted low level wind shear(llws). The llws accelerated the balloon's descent rate causing it to touchdown faster than planned. The balloon basket impacted the ground sideways and a passenger was thrown from the basket with several others being injured. The basket bounced several more times before coming to a stop.

As the FAA filed it

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LAUNCHED A HOT AIR BALLOON TOUR FROM AN OFF AIRPORT LOCATION NEAR NORTH VALLEY PARKWAY/DOVE VALLEY ROAD TO ANOTHER OFF AIRPORT LOCATION NEAR N LAKE PLEASANT PARKWAY/W CAREFREE HWY. THERE WERE 20 PASSENGERS AND 1 PILOT ONBOARD. DURING APPROACH TO LANDING, THE HOT AIR BALLOON ENCOUNTERED UNFORECASTED LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR(LLWS). THE LLWS ACCELERATED THE BALLOON'S DESCENT RATE CAUSING IT TO TOUCHDOWN FASTER THAN PLANNED. THE BALLOON BASKET IMPACTED THE GROUND SIDEWAYS AND A PASSENGER WAS THROWN FROM THE BASKET WITH SEVERAL OTHERS BEING INJURED. THE BASKET BOUNCED SEVERAL MORE TIMES BEFORE COMING TO A STOP.

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 WPR20LA333Accident · Serious injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportPeoria, AZThe balloon's encounter with unexpected windshear, which resulted in a hard landing and serious passenger injuries.Sep 18, 2020 · No damage

Other reports on N500UM · 1

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

Accident 20210502005379ALanding: Touchdown · Phoenix, AZAfter changing the departure location due to winds, balloon departed on an approximate 45 minute flight. PIC was reported to police from passengers onboard that the PIC had issues with the wind during the flight. PIC attempted a landing in a vacant field near…May 2, 2021 · Minor damage