# Incident 20260130001149I: Andrew Philip Richardson DBA A55S, Durango, CO, January 30, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 30, 2026, 09:30 local time
- Place: Durango, CO
- Airport: Durango La-Plata
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.3833° N, 107.8500° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.3833&lon=-107.8500&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4010K, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4010K) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Andrew Philip Richardson DBA A55S (registry code 0050055, https://openairdocs.org/model/andrew-philip-richardson-dba-a55s) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ANDREW PHILIP RICHARDSON DBA A55S
- Reported engine: NONE NONE
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 735 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN26LA108](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA108) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260130001149I

## Narrative

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

DURING LANDING OF THE HOT AIR BALLOON, A BYSTANDER GRABBED THE EDGE OF THE BASKET DURING INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND, IN AN ATTEMPT TO ADD WEIGHT AND STABILIZE THE BALLOON. AFTER THE BALLOONS INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND, THE BASKET LIFTED OFF THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY FOUR TO FIVE FEET BEFORE COMING TO A FINAL STOP. DURING THE UPWARD HOP, THE BYSTANDER CONTINUED TO HOLD ONTO THE BASKET AND WAS LIFTED OFF THE GROUND, THE BYSTANDER LOST HOLD OF THE BASKET, AND FELL APPROXIMATELY 3 TO 4 FEET. BYSTANDER BROKE LEG RESULTING FROM THE FALL.

## 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 CEN26LA108](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA108), Jan 30, 2026: Adams Balloon A55S (N4010K), Durango, CO, no damage. Probable cause: The ground crewmember’s failure to immediately let go of the balloon after it began an inadvertent climb while landing.

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.