- Date
- August 2, 2015, 08:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N787TCThunder & Colt AX8 105S2
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20150802014399A
- Case key
- 91718
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 did not properly brace herself during the landing, which resulted in a broken ankle and leg.
Findings · 1
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
The pilot stated that the balloon flight was normal with light and variable wind conditions. The pilot stated she informed the passenger that the basket may "hop" a couple of times during the landing and told him to brace himself. When the balloon basket touched the ground, the pilot's foot became wedged between the sidewall of the basket and one of the fuel tanks. The pilot lost her balance, her body shifted, and she felt her ankle fracture. She told the passenger to continue pulling the deflation line. The envelope deflated quickly and the basket laid down onto its side. There was no damage to the envelope or basket. The pilot suffered a broken ankle and leg.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that the balloon flight was normal with light and variable wind conditions. The pilot stated she informed the passenger that the basket may "hop" a couple of times during the landing and told him to brace himself. When the balloon basket touched the ground, the pilot's foot became wedged between the sidewall of the basket and one of the fuel tanks. The pilot lost her balance, her body shifted, and she felt her ankle fracture. She told the passenger to continue pulling the deflation line. The envelope deflated quickly and the basket laid down onto its side. There was no damage to the envelope or basket. The pilot suffered a broken ankle and leg.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N787TC
- Reported as
- Thunder & Colt AX8 105S2
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 2516USA
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- Albuquerque, NM
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
- 39
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2015
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 21.1 total · 16.3 in this make and model · 3.5 as pilot in command · 16.3 in the last 90 days · 14.1 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- ABQ, 11 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 2, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 543 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.