- Date
- July 10, 1988, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Purcellville, VA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor, 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7108Balloon Works AX-8
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880710071749A
- Case key
- 11425
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot landed the hot air balloon at an excessive descent rate which resulted in a hard landing. Wind gust are a contributing factor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the plt, a wind gust occurred during lift off. A passenger said the balloon went laterally about 50 to 75 yds where it struck several obstacles; a fence, a utility line, and a tree. The plt said he continued the takeoff and the balloon eventually became airborne. However, according to the plt, the winds began increasing so he decided to land. The plt said he landed hard and the force ejected him and a pax from the gondola. After the plt was ejected, the balloon lifted off again with four passengers aboard. The passenger said the balloon lifted to about 100 ft AGL when he heard the plt yelling to pull the valve line, which he did. The passenger said the balloon descended rapidly and landed hard; the balloon collapsed on the gondola.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7108
- Reported as
- Balloon Works AX-8
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- F8-105
- Airframe hours
- 89
- Engine
- none T-3, unknown
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Ballon Unlimited Corp
- Registered owner
- Robert O.G. Thomas
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 12, 1988 · 11 hours before
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 300 in this make and model · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IAD, 18 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.