OpenAirDocs.org

20211003017749A

Accident · No damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Richardson Andrew P RICHARDSON-75 · Albuquerque, NM · October 3, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information PortalNTSB investigation search

© OpenStreetMap
Date
October 3, 2021 · 09:00 local
Place
Albuquerque, NM
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N518UR
Reported as
Richardson Andrew P RICHARDSON-75
Reported engine
NONE NONE
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
218 total210 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days
N518URRegistered now · Richardson Andrew P RICHARDSON-75S/N 007 · Built 2015Airframe modelRichardson Andrew P RICHARDSON-75Engine 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.

On October 3, 2021, at 0900 MDT, an experimental balloon, N518UR, registered to privacy data omitted, made a hard landing near alameda blvd nw and 4th street nw (35.18595465N 106.6171952W). The commercial pilot sustained no injuries and the passenger sustained serious injury (compound fracture of the right leg). The balloon was undamaged. The flight originated from privacy data omitted on October 3, 2021, at approximately 0730 MDT. No flight plan was filed.

The commercial balloon pilot attended the mandatory safety and weather briefing for the day?s event. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. Winds at 2,200 feet AGL were reported as 180/13 and below 1000 feet AGL around 360/7. About 55 minutes into the flight, the pilot realized that winds were beginning to increase and they were unable to return to the launch site. She located a clear area between power lines and pulled the parachute valve around 20 feet AGL. The deflating balloon dragged the basket another 50 feet before coming to a stop.

The force of the landing seriously injured the passenger.

As the FAA filed it

ON OCTOBER 3, 2021, AT 0900 MDT, AN EXPERIMENTAL BALLOON, N518UR, REGISTERED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, MADE A HARD LANDING NEAR ALAMEDA BLVD NW AND 4TH STREET NW (35.18595465N 106.6171952W). THE COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED NO INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURY (COMPOUND FRACTURE OF THE RIGHT LEG). THE BALLOON WAS UNDAMAGED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON OCTOBER 3, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 0730 MDT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.

THE COMMERCIAL BALLOON PILOT ATTENDED THE MANDATORY SAFETY AND WEATHER BRIEFING FOR THE DAY?S EVENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. WINDS AT 2,200 FEET AGL WERE REPORTED AS 180/13 AND BELOW 1000 FEET AGL AROUND 360/7. ABOUT 55 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT REALIZED THAT WINDS WERE BEGINNING TO INCREASE AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE LAUNCH SITE. SHE LOCATED A CLEAR AREA BETWEEN POWER LINES AND PULLED THE PARACHUTE VALVE AROUND 20 FEET AGL. THE DEFLATING BALLOON DRAGGED THE BASKET ANOTHER 50 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A STOP.

THE FORCE OF THE LANDING SERIOUSLY INJURED THE PASSENGER.