- Date
- August 2, 2012, 07:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 11 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5316QAerostar International S81A
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Case key
- 84559
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 an unexpected shift of wind direction and velocity, 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
At the conclusion of a hot air balloon sightseeing flight, the pilot initiated an approach to a standard company landing field. During the approach, the wind unexpectedly shifted from 330 degrees at 8 knots to 110 degrees at up to 18 knots. As the easterly winds decreased to about 12 knots, the pilot elected to continue the approach into an unplanned landing area and told the passengers to prepare for a high-wind landing by bending their knees and holding on to the rope handles tightly. According to the pilot, the balloon landed hard, traveling about 12 knots groundspeed in an open area with uneven terrain. One of the 11 passengers sustained a fractured ankle. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was operating a sightseeing hot air balloon flight with eleven passengers. According to pilot statement, the approach was flown to a standard company landing field. During approach to landing, winds unexpectedly shifted from 330 degrees at eight knots to 110 degrees at speeds up to 18 knots. As the easterly winds decreased to approximately 12 knots, the pilot elected to continue the approach into an unplanned landing area and informed the passengers to prepare for a high wind landing by bending their knees and holding on to the rope handles tightly. According to the pilot, the hard landing occurred at approximately 12 knots groundspeed, in an open area with uneven terrain. Of the eleven passengers on board, one suffered a fractured ankle. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5316Q
- Reported as
- Aerostar International S81A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- S81A-3014
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Marketing Services Inc Of Pueblo, doing business as Adventure Out West
- Registered owner
- Marketing Services Inc Of Pueblo
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Destination
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- March 18, 2012
- Flight hours
- 1,922 total · 830 in this make and model · 1,873 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- kcos, 5 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 24, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 896 KB in all.