- Date
- July 27, 2011, 07:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Hartsel, CO
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 10 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1545TKubicek BB85
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110727014189A
- Case key
- 81249
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 encounter with high wind which resulted in a hard landing and passenger injury.
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
Following a sightseeing flight, the pilot was attempting to land a hot air balloon when the wind velocity increased. On the initial touchdown, the balloon bounced, and traveled about 30 feet before experiencing a hard landing. Of the ten passengers on board, one sustained a broken leg. There was no damage to the balloon. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
Following a sightseeing flight, the pilot was attempting to land a hot air balloon. After the initial touchdown, the wind velocity increased resulting in the balloon becoming airborne again. The balloon traveled about 30 feet before experiencing a hard landing. Of the ten passengers on board, one sustained a broken leg. There was no damage to the balloon. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1545T
- Reported as
- Kubicek BB85 (Z)
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 827
- Airframe hours
- 36
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Colorado Rocky Ballooning LLC
- Registered owner
- Colorado Rocky Ballooning LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 16, 2011
- Departed
- Harstel, CO
- Destination
- Harstel, CO
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- August 8, 2010
- Flight hours
- 2,562 total · 30 in this make and model · 2,562 as pilot in command · 42 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.45 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 15, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 499 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.