# NTSB ATL04LA198: Thunder & Colt 210A, N91101, Huntersville, NC, July 11, 2004

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: July 10, 2004, 20:20 local (Jul 11, 2004, 00:20 UTC)
- Place: Huntersville, NC
- Coordinates: 35.411945, -80.848052
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.4119&lon=-80.8481&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 7 minor
- Status: Completed, report September 13, 2005
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Parties: Charlotte FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 60351
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL04LA198
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/60351/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL04LA198

## Probable cause

Gusty weather conditions which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain during touchdown.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- In flight collision with terrain/water, landing - flare/touchdown
  - weather condition - gusts (cause)
  - terrain condition - berm

## Analysis

According to the pilot, he had obtained a weather briefing and had departed from a field.  The balloon had drifted east at about two miles per hour. He stated that after about 30 minutes the wind began increasing to a speed of around 15 to 18 miles per hour, and he began looking for a place to land. He stated he bypassed several fields before he found a large open construction site. He started a descent towards the field and instructed his passengers to get down and brace for a hard landing. He said that just at touchdown the balloon caught a gust of wind and hit a small mound of dirt causing the basket to overturn and the pilot and passengers to tumble out. The basket was dragged several feet before it came to a complete stop. The balloon and basket were not damaged.

## Factual narrative

On July 10, 2004 at 2020 eastern daylight time a Thunder & Colt LTD 210A, Hot Air Balloon, N91101, registered to and operated by the commercial pilot, collided with the ground during a precautionary landing in a field in Huntersville, North Carolina. The sightseeing flight was being operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot and six passengers received minor injuries and one passenger received serious injuries, the balloon was not damaged. The flight originated from a field in Cornelius, North Carolina, on July 10, 2004 at 1950.

According to the pilot, he had called Hickory Flight Service and obtained a weather briefing. He said they departed from a field located at the intersection of NC Highway 115 and Highway 73, near Huntersville, and the balloon was drifting east at about two miles per hour. He stated that after about 30 minutes the wind began increasing to a speed of around 15 to 18 miles per hour, and he began looking for a place to land. He stated he bypassed several fields before he found a large open construction site. He started a descent towards the field and instructed his passengers to get down and brace for a hard landing. He said that just at touchdown the balloon caught a gust of wind and hit a small mound of dirt causing the basket to overturn causing the pilot and passengers to tumble out. The basket was dragged several feet before it came to a complete stop. The balloon and basket were not damaged.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N91101](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N91101-2017-04-04), registration cancelled 2017-04-04, S/N 2470 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Thunder & Colt LTD 210A
- Registry model: [Thunder & Colt 210A](https://openairdocs.org/model/thunder-colt-210a) (registry code 8970133) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Balloon
- Serial number: 2470
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Business, Part 91
- Registered owner: Daniel W. Stone
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Departed: Cornelius, NC

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 58; injuries: minor; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2; seat: center; flight hours: 8,000 total

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observed at: CLT, 10 nm away

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20040710013899A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040710013899A), Jul 10, 2004: Lbl LBL210A, Huntersville, NC. (-23) Pilot stated he departed balloon N91101 with 7 passengers from a field located at the intersection of NC hwy 115 and hwy 73 near Huntersville, n.c.…

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.

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