What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Incident summary: on August 24, 2025, at approximately 09:09 CDT, balloon aircraft privacy data omitted (lindstrand 77X) experienced a landing incident in Decatur, Illinois. During an emergency descent, the balloon became entangled in power lines. No injuries were reported.
Causal or contributing factors: after disembarking two passengers, the pilot departed solo with limited propane reserves, initially estimated at 15–20 minutes, later revised to 35–45 minutes based on discussions with the chase crew. The pilot sought a safer location for deflation due to nearby obstacles, including power lines and trees.
The pilot attempted four landings:
• Attempt 1 & 2: aborted due to the ‘chase’ vehicle obstructing the landing zone.
• Attempt 3: aborted due to personal preference to avoid landing in a cornfield.
• Attempt 4: executed in a cornfield due to critically low fuel. A power line separated the road from the field. The pilot attempted to clear the line but exhausted fuel and initiated an emergency descent. The balloon landed short of the power lines, but the envelope deflated and draped over them.
The balloon later slid off the lines and became entangled on a light pole. Ameren, the local utility company, removed the balloon, during which the envelope sustained two tears between panels 18 and 19 and on lowest 2 panels:
• One tear measured approximately 9–10 inches on bottom panel.
• The second measured approximately 6 inches on second panel up.
Photographs were taken to document the damage. No power outages occurred, and local police filed a report.
Winds on August 24, 2025, were reported to be blowing east to southeast toward Decatur, varying by altitude.
Investigation summary:
• August 24: FAA inspector was notified at 15:00 CDT and contacted the regional operations center (roc), which referred the matter to the NTSB. Preliminary details were obtained from police reports and pilot statements.
• August 25: inspector obtained the police report and photos. The pilot provided a verbal account and confirmed filing a NASA report. Ameren confirmed no power disruptions.
• August 26: FAA inspectors from operations and airworthiness conducted an on-site inspection. Damage was assessed and determined to be non-critical per the lindstrand maintenance manual. The event was classified as an incident.
Root cause analysis: the pilot’s decision to depart with limited fuel reserves significantly reduced the margin for identifying and executing a safe landing. The proximity of urban infrastructure and inadequate coordination with the chase crew contributed to multiple aborted landings. These factors led to fuel exhaustion and an emergency landing that resulted in contact with power infrastructure.
Conclusion:the incident was caused by insufficient fuel planning and poor coordination with ground support. The pilot’s limited fuel reserves and repeated aborted landings due to obstructions and personal preference led to fuel exhaustion. The emergency landing resulted in minor damage to the balloon envelope, which was deemed non-critical. No injuries or power outages occurred. Based on the investigation, the event was classified as an incident.
As the FAA filed it
INCIDENT SUMMARY: ON AUGUST 24, 2025, AT APPROXIMATELY 09:09 CDT, BALLOON AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (LINDSTRAND 77X) EXPERIENCED A LANDING INCIDENT IN DECATUR, ILLINOIS. DURING AN EMERGENCY DESCENT, THE BALLOON BECAME ENTANGLED IN POWER LINES. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.
CAUSAL OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: AFTER DISEMBARKING TWO PASSENGERS, THE PILOT DEPARTED SOLO WITH LIMITED PROPANE RESERVES, INITIALLY ESTIMATED AT 15–20 MINUTES, LATER REVISED TO 35–45 MINUTES BASED ON DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHASE CREW. THE PILOT SOUGHT A SAFER LOCATION FOR DEFLATION DUE TO NEARBY OBSTACLES, INCLUDING POWER LINES AND TREES.
THE PILOT ATTEMPTED FOUR LANDINGS:
• ATTEMPT 1 & 2: ABORTED DUE TO THE ‘CHASE’ VEHICLE OBSTRUCTING THE LANDING ZONE.
• ATTEMPT 3: ABORTED DUE TO PERSONAL PREFERENCE TO AVOID LANDING IN A CORNFIELD.
• ATTEMPT 4: EXECUTED IN A CORNFIELD DUE TO CRITICALLY LOW FUEL. A POWER LINE SEPARATED THE ROAD FROM THE FIELD. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CLEAR THE LINE BUT EXHAUSTED FUEL AND INITIATED AN EMERGENCY DESCENT. THE BALLOON LANDED SHORT OF THE POWER LINES, BUT THE ENVELOPE DEFLATED AND DRAPED OVER THEM.
THE BALLOON LATER SLID OFF THE LINES AND BECAME ENTANGLED ON A LIGHT POLE. AMEREN, THE LOCAL UTILITY COMPANY, REMOVED THE BALLOON, DURING WHICH THE ENVELOPE SUSTAINED TWO TEARS BETWEEN PANELS 18 AND 19 AND ON LOWEST 2 PANELS:
• ONE TEAR MEASURED APPROXIMATELY 9–10 INCHES ON BOTTOM PANEL.
• THE SECOND MEASURED APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES ON SECOND PANEL UP.
PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN TO DOCUMENT THE DAMAGE. NO POWER OUTAGES OCCURRED, AND LOCAL POLICE FILED A REPORT.
WINDS ON AUGUST 24, 2025, WERE REPORTED TO BE BLOWING EAST TO SOUTHEAST TOWARD DECATUR, VARYING BY ALTITUDE.
INVESTIGATION SUMMARY:
• AUGUST 24: FAA INSPECTOR WAS NOTIFIED AT 15:00 CDT AND CONTACTED THE REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER (ROC), WHICH REFERRED THE MATTER TO THE NTSB. PRELIMINARY DETAILS WERE OBTAINED FROM POLICE REPORTS AND PILOT STATEMENTS.
• AUGUST 25: INSPECTOR OBTAINED THE POLICE REPORT AND PHOTOS. THE PILOT PROVIDED A VERBAL ACCOUNT AND CONFIRMED FILING A NASA REPORT. AMEREN CONFIRMED NO POWER DISRUPTIONS.
• AUGUST 26: FAA INSPECTORS FROM OPERATIONS AND AIRWORTHINESS CONDUCTED AN ON-SITE INSPECTION. DAMAGE WAS ASSESSED AND DETERMINED TO BE NON-CRITICAL PER THE LINDSTRAND MAINTENANCE MANUAL. THE EVENT WAS CLASSIFIED AS AN INCIDENT.
ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS: THE PILOT’S DECISION TO DEPART WITH LIMITED FUEL RESERVES SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE MARGIN FOR IDENTIFYING AND EXECUTING A SAFE LANDING. THE PROXIMITY OF URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND INADEQUATE COORDINATION WITH THE CHASE CREW CONTRIBUTED TO MULTIPLE ABORTED LANDINGS. THESE FACTORS LED TO FUEL EXHAUSTION AND AN EMERGENCY LANDING THAT RESULTED IN CONTACT WITH POWER INFRASTRUCTURE.
CONCLUSION:THE INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY INSUFFICIENT FUEL PLANNING AND POOR COORDINATION WITH GROUND SUPPORT. THE PILOT’S LIMITED FUEL RESERVES AND REPEATED ABORTED LANDINGS DUE TO OBSTRUCTIONS AND PERSONAL PREFERENCE LED TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE EMERGENCY LANDING RESULTED IN MINOR DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON ENVELOPE, WHICH WAS DEEMED NON-CRITICAL. NO INJURIES OR POWER OUTAGES OCCURRED. BASED ON THE INVESTIGATION, THE EVENT WAS CLASSIFIED AS AN INCIDENT.