# NTSB CEN12CA393: National Ballooning 858, N9005E, Pierce, NE, June 17, 2012

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report
- Date: June 17, 2012, 07:15 local (12:15 UTC)
- Place: Pierce, NE
- Coordinates: 42.202777, -97.392219 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.2028&lon=-97.3922&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report September 13, 2012
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA Lincoln FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 84093
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN12CA393
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/84093/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84093
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12CA393

## Probable cause

The balloon pilot’s encounter with increased wind during landing, which resulted in a hard landing and a passenger’s injury.

## Findings

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

- [Wind: high wind](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034055): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operation (probable cause); cases with it: [National Ballooning 858, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034055/cases.md?model=6113320), [All aircraft, 112 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034055/cases.md)
- [Communication (personnel): following instructions](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063537): Personnel issues › Task performance · Passenger; cases with it: [National Ballooning 858, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063537/cases.md?model=6113320), [All aircraft, 31 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063537/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

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

- [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [National Ballooning 858, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=6113320), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md)
- [Landing: Dragged wing/rotor/float/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/093); cases with it: [National Ballooning 858, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/093/sequence.md?model=6113320), [All aircraft, 319 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/093/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot was participating with about eight other balloons in an early morning mass ascension. After about 45 minutes of flight, the pilot observed that the wind had increased and determined that a “high-wind landing” would be necessary. His two passengers had not experienced a balloon flight before, and the pilot instructed them that they should hold on tightly and face forward, with their feet pointed straight ahead and their knees bent to absorb the shock of the landing. He also advised them that the basket would likely tip over during the landing. The balloon initially touched down hard in a flat, harvested field, then bounced and touched down a second time. The pilot reported his ground speed was about 13 to 14 mph. During the second touchdown the basket tipped over and was dragged about 100 feet, coming to rest on its side in an adjacent cornfield. The pilot deflated the balloon envelope and the three occupants began to climb out of the basket. The 70-year old passenger was seriously injured during the landing. The balloon was not damaged. The pilot said that he thought the passenger’s injury occurred because she did not have her feet pointed straight ahead during the landing.

## Factual narrative

The pilot was participating with about eight other balloons in an early morning mass ascension. After a flight of about 45 minutes, while approaching to land, the pilot observed that the wind had increased and he determined that a “high-wind landing” would be necessary. His two passengers had not been involved in a balloon flight before and he instructed both of them how they should hold on tightly, and that they should face forward with their feet pointed straight ahead with their knees bent to absorb the shock of the landing. He also advised them that the basket would likely tip over on its side during the landing. The pilot touched down onto a flat harvested alfalfa field, bounced, and touched down a second time. The pilot reported his ground speed was then about 13 to 14 miles per hour. During the second touchdown the basket tipped over and was dragged about 100 feet coming to rest on its side in an adjacent cornfield. The pilot deflated the balloon envelope and the three occupants began to climb out of the basket. A 70-year old passenger reported pain in her ankle and was transported to the hospital for treatment of a broken ankle. The balloon was not damaged. The pilot said he thought the reason for the passenger’s injury was probably because the passenger did not have her feet pointed straight ahead during one or more of the touchdown events.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N9005E](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9005E), registered now, S/N 146, built 2003 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: NATIONAL BALLOONING LTD 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: 146
- Airframe hours: 210
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Air race/show, Part 91
- Operator: Wayne A Mohring
- Registered owner: Wayne A Mohring
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, August 12, 2011
- Departed: KOFK, Norfolk, NE
- Destination: Pierce, NE

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 51; injuries: none; commercial; last flight review June 3, 2012; flight hours: 219 total, 210 in this make and model, 5 as pilot in command, 4 in the last 90 days, 4 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dawn
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 63 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observed at: KOFK, 14 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 20120617010909A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120617010909A), Jun 17, 2012: National Ballooning Ltd 858, Pierce, NE, No damage. N9005E, carrying two passengers and the pilot, departed norfolk (ofk) airport as part of a balloon festival in conjunction with the ofk airshow. The pilot…

## Docket (3 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 17, 2012, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84093. 2.5 MB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40372288&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF
- Record of Conversation With The Pilot (item 2, .PDF, 53 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40372431&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20With%20The%20Pilot-Master.PDF
- Maps (item 3, .PDF, 278 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40372432&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maps-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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