# Accident 20251124020709A: Cameron Balloons US A-225, Albuquerque, NM, November 24, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 24, 2025, 08:00 local time
- Place: Albuquerque, NM
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.0149° N, 106.6085° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0149&lon=-106.6085&mi=10
- Aircraft: N980VA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N980VA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cameron Balloons US A-225 (registry code 1880232, https://openairdocs.org/model/cameron-balloons-us-a-225) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CAMERON BALLOONS US A-225
- Reported engine: NONE NONE
- People aboard: 9
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,073 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR26LA052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA052) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20251124020709A

## Narrative

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

ON NOVEMBER 24,2025 AT 0800 A CAMRON A-225 BALLOON ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PILOTED BY A COMMERCIALLY RATED PILOT DEPARTED FROM A FIELD NEAR COTTON WOOD MALL IN RIO RANCHO NM ON A SIGHT SEEING TOUR WITH A FLIGTH DURATION OF APPROX 1 HOUR, ENCOUNTERED A HARD LANDING.  THE MAX ALTITUDE THE BALLOON REACHED WAS APPROX 7000 MSL. THE WIND SPEEDS AT TAKE OFF WERE APPROX 3 MPH THE BALLOON IS OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL AIR TOUR OPERATOR LOCATED IN ABQ NM. THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON SYSTEM.THERE WERE 9 PERSONS ON BOARD WITH ONE PASSENGER SUFFERING A BROKEN LEG AND THE PILOT RECEIVED STITCHES FOR A HEAD WOUND. THE WIND WAS REPORTED TO BE 3 MPH AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE. THE WINDS INCREASED TO 16 MPH GUSTING TO 22 MPH. ALL PASSENGERS WERE BRIEFED THAT THE LANDING WOULD BE ROUGH AND ADVISED THEM OF THE POSITIONS THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE IN BEFORE TOUCH DOWN.  THE BALLOON TOUCHED DOWN AT 26 MPH INDICATED ON THE PILOTS GPS. THE PILOT WAS INJURED AS WELL AS ONE PASSENGER REQUIRING AN AMBULANCE. NO OTHER PASSENGERS WERE INJURED IN THE LANDING.  JRK

## 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 WPR26LA052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA052), Nov 24, 2025: Cameron Balloons US A-225 (N980VA), Albuquerque, NM, no damage. Probable cause: The balloon landing in increased wind, and the pilot’s inability to maintain the proper descent rate, which resulted in a hard landing.

## Other reports on N980VA (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20250915015419A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250915015419A), Sep 15, 2025: Cameron Balloons US A-225 (N980VA), Albuquerque, NM, No damage. On 09/15/2025 at approx. 0810 am MST. A passenger balloon model camron A-225 [privacy data omitted], piloted by a commercially rated pilot, on a sight seeing…

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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