# Accident 20241017014989A: Cameron Balloons US A-275, Whittman, AZ, October 17, 2024

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 17, 2024, 07:30 local time
- Place: Whittman, AZ
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.7175° N, 112.4867° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.7175&lon=-112.4867&mi=10
- Aircraft: N275AZ, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N275AZ) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cameron Balloons US A-275 (registry code 1880445, https://openairdocs.org/model/cameron-balloons-us-a-275) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CAMERON BALLOONS US A-275
- Reported engine: NONE NONE
- People aboard: 9
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 5,000 total, 5,000 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR25LA023](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA023) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20241017014989A

## Narrative

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

ON OCTOBER 17, 2024, AROUND 0730 MST, CAMERON BALLON A-275, WAS MAKING AN APPROACH TO LANDING.  THE BALLON WAS DESCENDING TOWARDS THE SURFACE, HEADING FROM THE WEST IN A EASTERLY DIRECTION.  THE LANDING SITE WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 199TH AVE, NORTH OF HAPPY VALLEY ROAD.  THE FINAL LANDING DECENT WAS OVER A SPARSELY POPULATED AREA.  THERE WAS A RESIDENTIAL POWERLINE IN THE APPROACH PATH THAT THE PILOT NOT SEE UNTIL THE BALLON WAS TOO LOW TO ABORT THE LANDING. THE BALLOON BASKET COLLIDED WITH THE POWERLINE RESULTING IN THE POWERLINE AND THE SUPPORTING POWER POLE SNAPPING. THE BALLOON CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD AND LANDED TWO MINUTES AFTER THE COLLISION. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO EITHER PEOPLE ON THE GROUND OR IN THE BALLON. DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON WAS LIMITED TO ONE SEPARATED SUSPENSION CABLE WITH NO OTHER SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR25LA023](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA023), Oct 17, 2024: Cameron Balloons US A-275 (N275AZ), Wittmann, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a power line during an approach.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.