20260820012329I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Thunder Balloons AX8-90 · Grand Blanc, MI · August 20, 2026

Date: August 20, 2026 · 20:55 local
Place: Grand Blanc, MI
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N63RR
Reported as: Thunder Balloons AX8-90
Reported engine: NONE NONE
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot

N63RRRegistered now · Thunder Balloons AX8-90S/N 732 Airframe modelThunder Balloons AX8-90 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.

Hot air balloon collision with house during landing. Pilot landed balloon in homeowners front yard. A gust of wind estimated up to 15 mph blew the balloon into the front door area of the house. As the pilot attempted to take off, the balloon was blown into the attached garage of the house. The balloon became stuck on the eavestrough and a hole was ripped in the lower part of the envelope. The eavestrough/downspout of the house was pulled off and fell into the driveway and the balloon became free. The balloon took off and flew another 2 - 3 miles before landing and being recovered by the ground crew without further incident. Damage to balloon envelope was in the lower 8.5 feet of the envelope and no damage to structural load tape was found. Cameron balloons instructions for continued airworthiness states that damage found in the lower 10 ft of the envelope does not deem the balloon unairworthy and does not need to be repaired before further flight.

As the FAA filed it

HOT AIR BALLOON COLLISION WITH HOUSE DURING LANDING. PILOT LANDED BALLOON IN HOMEOWNERS FRONT YARD. A GUST OF WIND ESTIMATED UP TO 15 MPH BLEW THE BALLOON INTO THE FRONT DOOR AREA OF THE HOUSE. AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OFF, THE BALLOON WAS BLOWN INTO THE ATTACHED GARAGE OF THE HOUSE. THE BALLOON BECAME STUCK ON THE EAVESTROUGH AND A HOLE WAS RIPPED IN THE LOWER PART OF THE ENVELOPE. THE EAVESTROUGH/DOWNSPOUT OF THE HOUSE WAS PULLED OFF AND FELL INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND THE BALLOON BECAME FREE. THE BALLOON TOOK OFF AND FLEW ANOTHER 2 - 3 MILES BEFORE LANDING AND BEING RECOVERED BY THE GROUND CREW WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. DAMAGE TO BALLOON ENVELOPE WAS IN THE LOWER 8.5 FEET OF THE ENVELOPE AND NO DAMAGE TO STRUCTURAL LOAD TAPE WAS FOUND. CAMERON BALLOONS INSTRUCTIONS FOR CONTINUED AIRWORTHINESS STATES THAT DAMAGE FOUND IN THE LOWER 10 FT OF THE ENVELOPE DOES NOT DEEM THE BALLOON UNAIRWORTHY AND DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPAIRED BEFORE FURTHER FLIGHT.

Other reports on N63RR · 1

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

Incident 19880716026949ILevel Off Touchdown · Wellsville, NYWind picked up. Tried to land. Hit hard and pilot was thrown out. Held onto rip cord and dragged until stopping.Jul 16, 1988 · Substantial damage