# Accident 20211003017749A: Richardson Andrew P RICHARDSON-75, Albuquerque, NM, October 3, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 3, 2021, 09:00 local time
- Place: Albuquerque, NM
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.0845° N, 106.6511° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Albuquerque, NM, within about 8 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0845&lon=-106.6511&mi=10
- Aircraft: N518UR, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N518UR) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Richardson Andrew P RICHARDSON-75 (registry code 05633ON, https://openairdocs.org/model/richardson-andrew-p-richardson-75) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: RICHARDSON ANDREW P RICHARDSON-75
- Reported engine: NONE NONE
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 218 total, 210 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20211003017749A

## Narrative

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

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.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

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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