- Date
- June 13, 2009, 20:00 local (Jun 14, 2009, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Marathon City, WI
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9116MAerostar International RX-9
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-Milwaukee FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090613054199A
- Case key
- 74049
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
A hard landing as a result of unexpected high winds and gusts.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot and four paying passengers departed in a free air balloon. The local area surface weather observations indicated that the winds were consistently from the northwest at 6 – 8 knots. Around the time of the balloon launch, the winds were observed to be 300 degrees at 6 knots. About 3 minutes after liftoff, the balloon was heading 180 degrees at 10 knots about 800 feet above ground level. The winds on the ground suddenly increased to about 25 mph, and the balloon experienced strong wind gusts. The pilot reported that about 9 minutes after takeoff, a big wind gust “caved in” half the balloon and the mouth was “almost shut.” The pilot decided to get the balloon on the ground at the nearest suitable field, and instructed the passengers to prepare for a hard landing. The balloon hit hard, bounced in the air about 30 feet, and traveled about 200 feet before it hit the ground again. The balloon tipped on its side and one of the passengers partially fell out of the basket, but was restrained by the pilot and a passenger. The wind dragged the basket about 125 feet where the passenger fell out the basket and into a ditch. The basket was dragged about another 60 feet before it came to a stop in another field. The passenger was seriously injured. The balloon sustained minor damage.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the hot air balloon reported that he had made numerous calls to weather services prior to the balloon launch to ascertain the current and forecast winds. The local area surface weather observations indicated that the winds were consistently from the northwest at 6 to 8 knots. Around the time of the balloon launch, the winds were observed to be 300 degrees at 6 knots. The weather observations after the time of the accident indicated similar wind conditions. The pilot and four paying passengers departed in the balloon. About 3 minutes after liftoff, the balloon was heading 180 degrees at 10 knots about 800 feet above ground level (agl). The winds on the ground suddenly increased to about 25 mph, and the balloon experienced strong wind gusts. The pilot reported that about 9 minutes after takeoff, a big wind gust “caved in” half the balloon and the mouth was “almost shut.” The balloon was traveling about 45 mph and was about 1,500 feet agl in an up draft. When the pilot got the balloon to about 500 feet agl, he informed the passengers that he intended to land at the nearest suitable field, and instructed them to prepare for a hard landing. The pilot reported that he turned off the gas and pilot lights at 100 feet agl and the balloon was descending at 500 fpm. The surface wind was about 25 mph. At 20 feet agl, he pulled the vent line to open the top. The balloon hit hard, bounced in the air about 30 feet, and traveled about 200 feet before it hit the ground again. The balloon tipped on its side and one of the passengers partially fell out of the basket, but was restrained by the pilot and another passenger. The wind dragged the basket about 125 feet where the passenger fell out their arms and into a ditch. The basket was dragged about another 60 feet before it came to a stop in another field. The pilot and passengers were taken to area hospitals for observation and care. The balloon sustained minor damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9116M
- Reported as
- Aerostar International RX-9
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- RX9-3013
- Airframe hours
- 348
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Handcrafted Furniture Balloon Rides LLC
- Registered owner
- Handcrafted Furniture Balloon Rides LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 27, 2009
- Departed
- Marathon City, WI
- Destination
- Marathon City, WI
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- May 8, 2009
- Flight hours
- 1,323 total · 78 in this make and model · 9 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- AUW, 10 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 24, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.