# NTSB CEN14LA005: Cameron N105 - NO Series, N4113T, Albuquerque, NM, October 5, 2013 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 5, 2013, 07:05 local (13:05 UTC) - Place: Albuquerque, NM - Coordinates: 35.08472, -106.651107 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0847&lon=-106.6511&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 February 3, 2014 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - NTSB case key (mKey): 88185 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN14LA005 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/88185/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=88185 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14LA005 ## Probable cause The pilot's decision to land the balloon from a high approach altitude due to high winds, which resulted in a hard landing. ## 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; cases with it: [Cameron Balloons US N-105, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034055/cases.md?model=1880217), [All aircraft, 112 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034055/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cameron Balloons US N-105, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=1880217), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/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: [Cameron Balloons US N-105, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=1880217), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot took off with several other balloons as part of that day's Dawn Patrol flight at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Throughout the flight, the pilot changed altitude several times to find an average wind between 18 and 26 mph. The sun was coming up, and the pilot saw other Dawn Patrol pilots starting to land. As he descended to near-treetop level for his landing approach to a golf course, the balloon experienced a false heavy condition (when descending into a faster moving air mass or wind shear, the air flow over the balloon pulls the balloon down) in which the balloon descended sooner than the pilot wanted. He applied the burners to avoid a house and power lines. As the balloon came back down, the pilot saw that the wind was about 22 mph. The pilot and the two passengers got down in the basket in preparation for the high-wind landing. About 20 feet above the ground, the pilot shut off the burners, pulled open the vent, and the balloon hit the ground flat and square. The basket tipped over and dragged about 25 feet before stopping. About 13 minutes before the accident the weather conditions at the nearest aviation weather station included wind from 360 degrees at 9 knots. ## Factual narrative On October 5, 2013, about 0705 mountain daylight time, a Cameron Balloon N-105, N4113T, impacted terrain while making a high wind landing on a golf course in Albuquerque, New Mexico. One passenger was seriously injured. The commercial pilot and other passenger on board were uninjured and the balloon sustained no damage. The balloon was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The local flight originated from Fiesta Field, Albuquerque, New Mexico, at 0615. The pilot reported that he'd taken off with several other balloons as part of that day's Dawn Patrol flight at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Throughout the flight the pilot changed altitude several times to compensate for the 18 to 26 mile per hour (MPH) winds. The sun was coming up and the pilot saw other Dawn Patrol pilots starting to land. He looked the wind, the direction they were going, and the lack of landing sites and decided to land on a golf course. As he descended to near tree top level for his landing approach, the pilot experienced a false heavy condition which caused the balloon to descend sooner than he wanted. He applied the burners so as to avoid a house and power lines. As he came back down again approaching the surface, the pilot saw the wind had increased to about 22 MPH. The pilot and the two passengers got down in the basket in preparation for the high wind landing. About 20 feet above the ground, the pilot shut off the burners and pulled open the vent. The balloon hit the ground flat and square. The basket tipped over and dragged about 25 feet before stopping. The pilot checked the two passengers. The female passenger told him she couldn't move her foot. It was later determined that she had fractured the fibula bone in her left leg. At 0652, the weather conditions at the Albuquerque International Airport were wind 360 degrees at 9 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 41 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point, 35 degrees F, and altimeter 30.30 inches of Mercury. The pilot reported the wind he encountered during the flight was unexpected and not in the weather forecast. Their launch was delayed because of winds at Fiesta Field. After a time, they put up a second pibal that indicated wind of about 5 knots. The airport towers were reporting winds of 5 and 6 knots, so they decided to take off. The pilot said that once they were in the air, the winds were nothing like the pibal showed. The passenger broke the bone in her shin just above the ankle. She told the pilot later that as they were coming in for the landing, she was crouched down, her knees were together, and her feet were separated and slightly turned in. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4113T](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4113T), registered now, S/N 6072, built 1996 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CAMERON N105 - NO SERIES (NO SERIES) - Registry model: [Cameron Balloons US N-105](https://openairdocs.org/model/cameron-balloons-us-n-105) (registry code 1880217) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Balloon - Serial number: 6072 - Year built: 1996 - Damage: No damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Taylor-Christensen Tim - Registered owner: Taylor-Christensen Tim - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: Albuquerque, NM - Destination: Albuquerque, NM ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 52; injuries: none; commercial; last flight review March 2, 2013; seat: center; restraint: none; flight hours: 3,504 total, 3,504 in this make and model, 3,504 as pilot in command, 35 in the last 90 days, 28 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 360° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 41 °F, dew point 36 °F - Altimeter: 30.29 inHg - Observed at: ABQ, 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 20131005019459A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20131005019459A), Oct 5, 2013: Cameron Balloons US N-105, Albuquerque, NM, No damage. Pilot departed aibf field during the abq international balloon fiesta. During the flight winds became higher than forecast. During the hard landing, the female… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 16, 2013, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=88185. 983 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 678 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40403151&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Memorandum of Conversation, Mr. Tim Taylor (item 2, .PDF, 93 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40403152&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memorandum%20of%20Conversation,%20Mr.%20Tim%20Taylor-Master.PDF - Weather Information (item 3, .PDF, 211 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40403153&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Information-Redacted.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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.