- Date
- May 24, 1992, 08:15 local (12:15 UTC)
- Place
- Southhampton, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 5 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3604YAerostar AX-9 - S-66A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920524056319A
- Case key
- 11805
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 used an excessive descent rate during landing. Contributing to the accident was an unfavorable wind condition.
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
The pilot reported that he encountered adverse wind conditions, causing him to abort landings at two different locations. Consequently, according to the pilot, he made a steep approach into 'the last available field'. He told the passengers to expect a hard landing, hold on tight, and use their legs as shock absorbers. According to the pilot, the balloon was descending at 500 feet/minute five seconds before the landing. During the landing, one of the five passengers fell down and injured her back.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3604Y
- Reported as
- Aerostar AX-9 - S-66A (AX-9 - S-6)
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- S66A-3034
- Airframe hours
- 197
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David P. Spais
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 20, 1992 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- Moorestown, NJ
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Flight hours
- 2,800 total · 700 in this make and model · 2,700 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.