# NTSB CEN09CA328: National Ballooning 858, N31802, Fremont, NE, May 31, 2009

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report
- Date: May 31, 2009, 06:57 local (11:57 UTC)
- Place: Fremont, NE
- Coordinates: 41.458332, -96.405281 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.4583&lon=-96.4053&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing: Cabin safety event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/110)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 3 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report November 9, 2009
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA Omaha FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 73943
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN09CA328
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/73943/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73943
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09CA328

## Probable cause

The passenger’s inability to position herself properly for the normal balloon landing.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Action: incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Passenger (probable cause); cases with it: [National Ballooning 858, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md?model=6113320), [All aircraft, 1,386 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing: Cabin safety event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/110) (defining event); cases with it: [National Ballooning 858, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/110/sequence.md?model=6113320), [All aircraft, 151 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/110/sequence.md)
- [Other: Abrupt maneuver](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/270); cases with it: [National Ballooning 858, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/270/sequence.md?model=6113320), [All aircraft, 346 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/270/sequence.md)
- [Landing-flare/touchdown: Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900); cases with it: [National Ballooning 858, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md?model=6113320), [All aircraft, 1,556 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md)

## Analysis

After a 60-minute morning balloon flight the pilot executed a normal flare to a touch down into two-foot high pasture grass on a soft soil base. GPS records show the touchdown was at six miles per hour. The pilot used the rotator vent to align the balloon so that all of the occupants were facing forward for the touchdown, and he had previously instructed the passengers on how to hold on the rope handles and braces and how to slightly bend their knees for the first impacts of landing. The 79-year-old female passenger said that because she was so short she had to stretch her left arm to hold on to the upper brace. At the first impact with the ground, her adult son standing behind her said that he heard a "pop" and that she then screamed in pain. After the basket stopped moving, the pilot deflated the balloon and tipped the basket on its side to assist the injured passenger in exiting. The passenger was transported to the hospital for treatment of a broken left humerus bone. The other occupants were not injured and the balloon was not damaged.

## Factual narrative

After a 60-minute morning balloon flight the pilot executed a normal flare to a touch down into two-foot high pasture grass on a soft soil base. GPS records show the touchdown was at six miles per hour. The pilot used the rotator vent to align the balloon so all of the occupants were facing forward for the touchdown and had previously instructed the passengers how to hold on the rope handles and braces and how to slightly bend their knees for the first impacts of landing. A 79-year old female passenger said because she was so short she had to stretch her left arm to hold on to the upper brace. At the first contact with the ground, her adult son who was standing behind her, said he heard a "pop" and she screamed in pain. After the basket stopped moving the pilot deflated the balloon and tipped the basket on its side to assist the injured passenger in exiting. The passenger was transported to the hospital for treatment of a broken left humerus bone. The other occupants were not injured and the balloon was not damaged.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N31802](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N31802), registered now, S/N 161, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: NATIONAL BALLOONING 858
- Registry model: [National Ballooning 858](https://openairdocs.org/model/national-ballooning-858) (registry code 6113320) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Balloon
- Serial number: 161
- Airframe hours: 113
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Other work use, Part 91
- Operator: Jaworski Richard L, doing business as Euphoria Balloons
- Registered owner: Jaworski Richard L and Jaworski Paula
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, February 10, 2009, 16 hours before
- Departed: Waterloo, NE
- Destination: Fremont, NE
- Airport: KFET, Fremont Municipal Airport

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 66; injuries: none; commercial; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review October 4, 2008; flight hours: 2,265 total, 113 in this make and model, 2,265 as pilot in command, 14 in the last 90 days, 11 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 55 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observed at: KFET, 5 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 20090531009509A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090531009509A), May 31, 2009: Natbal 858, Fremont, NE, No damage. After completing a one our sightseeing flight under 14 CFR part 91, the pilot with three passengers made a normal landing with a 5 knot wind. During the…

## Docket (2 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 3, 2009, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73943. 2.1 MB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 148 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40315456&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF
- Passenger Statements (item 2, .PDF, 2.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40315457&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Passenger%20Statements-Master.PDF

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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