- Date
- June 27, 2010, 07:10 local (12:10 UTC)
- Place
- Harrison, AR
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N60029Lindstrand Balloons 77A
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100627037059A
- Case key
- 76473
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’s failure to maintain control of the balloon during landing.
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
While landing in a field, the wind shifted and the hot air balloon impacted a tree. The balloon then ascended approximately 50 feet back into the air. The pilot cautioned his two passengers to brace for a hard landing. The balloon descended rapidly and hit the ground hard. The basket rolled on its side and one of the passengers fell out. The passenger impacted the ground face first, breaking her nose and cheek bone. The balloon again lifted off the ground before settling back for its final landing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact anomalies with the balloon.
Factual narrative
While landing in a field, the wind shifted and the hot air balloon impacted a tree. The balloon then ascended approximately 50-feet back into the air. The pilot cautioned his two passengers to hang-on and brace for a hard landing. The balloon descended rapidly and hit the ground hard. The basket rolled on its side and one of the passengers fell out. The passenger impacted the ground face first, breaking her nose and cheek bone. The balloon again lifted off the ground before settling back for its final landing. The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact anomalies with the balloon.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N60029
- Reported as
- Lindstrand Balloons 77A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 5128
- Airframe hours
- 159
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mills & Daughters Inc
- Registered owner
- Mills & Daughters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 19, 2009
- Departed
- Ponca, AR
- Destination
- Harrison, AR
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Last flight review
- June 10, 2009
- Flight hours
- 2,455 total · 830 in this make and model · 2,311 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 23, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 400 KB 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.