20230714010319A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Adams Balloons A-B · Lafayette, CO · July 14, 2023

Date: July 14, 2023 · 06:18 local
Place: Lafayette, CO
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N895FA
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN23LA305
Reported as: Adams Balloons A-B
Reported engine: NONE NONE
People aboard: 5
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 5
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 618 total

N895FARegistered now · Adams Balloons A-BS/N 279 · Built 2021 Airframe modelAdams Balloons A-B 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.

Pilot received a group weather briefing that was obtained from the NWS for the balloon launch. Winds were predicted to pick up and change direction within two hours. Several balloons filled up and 5 balloons launched. Incident balloon was the fifth balloon to launch. After the balloon was airborne a strong ene wind entered the area and the balloon accelerated to 27 mph. The pilot began to search for a suitable landing area and after several attempts at areas selected an area large enough for a high wind landing. The pilot descended and the basket struck the ground, rotating to its side. One passenger was ejected from the basket. The balloon and basket ascended due to the decreased weight. The pilot released the top vent and the balloon descended again striking the ground. The basket was dragged approximately 200 feet and came to rest on its side. All passengers and crew were injured. The seriously injured passenger was hospitalized for 3 weeks.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT RECEIVED A GROUP WEATHER BRIEFING THAT WAS OBTAINED FROM THE NWS FOR THE BALLOON LAUNCH. WINDS WERE PREDICTED TO PICK UP AND CHANGE DIRECTION WITHIN TWO HOURS. SEVERAL BALLOONS FILLED UP AND 5 BALLOONS LAUNCHED. INCIDENT BALLOON WAS THE FIFTH BALLOON TO LAUNCH. AFTER THE BALLOON WAS AIRBORNE A STRONG ENE WIND ENTERED THE AREA AND THE BALLOON ACCELERATED TO 27 MPH. THE PILOT BEGAN TO SEARCH FOR A SUITABLE LANDING AREA AND AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT AREAS SELECTED AN AREA LARGE ENOUGH FOR A HIGH WIND LANDING. THE PILOT DESCENDED AND THE BASKET STRUCK THE GROUND, ROTATING TO ITS SIDE. ONE PASSENGER WAS EJECTED FROM THE BASKET. THE BALLOON AND BASKET ASCENDED DUE TO THE DECREASED WEIGHT. THE PILOT RELEASED THE TOP VENT AND THE BALLOON DESCENDED AGAIN STRIKING THE GROUND. THE BASKET WAS DRAGGED APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AND CAME TO REST ON ITS SIDE. ALL PASSENGERS AND CREW WERE INJURED. THE SERIOUSLY INJURED PASSENGER WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR 3 WEEKS.

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 CEN23LA305Accident · Serious injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportLafayette, COAn inadvertent hard landing in high wind conditions resulting in serious injury of two passengers. Contributing to the accident was the increase in prevailing winds prior to the forecast.Jul 14, 2023 · No damage