# Incident 20221119020689I: Cameron Balloons O-140, Albuquerque, NM, November 19, 2022

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 19, 2022, 08:00 local time
- Place: Albuquerque, NM
- Airport: Albuquerque International Sunp
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.0389° N, 106.6083° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at ALBUQUERQUE INTL SUNPORT (ABQ), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0389&lon=-106.6083&mi=10
- Aircraft: N140PB, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N140PB-2023-09-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cameron Balloons O-140 (registry code 1880414, https://openairdocs.org/model/cameron-balloons-o-140) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CAMERON BALLOONS O-140
- Reported engine: NONE NONE
- People aboard: 6
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,005 total, 115 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20221119020689I

## Narrative

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

ON NOVEMBER 19, 2022, AT APPROXIMATELY 0800 MST, AN LTA-BALLOON, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT WHERE IT STRUCK HIGH-TENSION POWER LINES DURING THE LANDING PHASE.

THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS CARRYING PAYING PASSENGERS IN A COMMERCIAL SIGHT-SEEING CAPACITY. NO FAA FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT INCURRED MINOR DAMAGE DURING THE INITIAL WIRE STRIKE UPON LANDING. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS CAUGHT IN A DOWNDRAFT DURING LANDING FROM WHICH HE WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER.

SUBSEQUENTLY, THE LOCAL POWER COMPANY,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CAUSED ADDITIONAL SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON ENVELOPE WHILE REMOVING IT FROM THE POWER LINES. THE PILOT AND ALL PASSENGERS HAD EXITED THE BALLOON BASKET PRIOR TO THE POWER COMPANY ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE THE BALLOON ENVELOPE FROM THE POWER LINES.

NEITHER THE PILOT NOR PASSENGERS WERE INJURED.

THE PILOT IS AN FAA COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT IN LTA-BALLOONS. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN RIO RANCHO, NM.

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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