# NTSB CEN18LA006: Cameron N-105, N29922, Albuquerque, NM, October 7, 2017 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 7, 2017, 09:00 local (15:00 UTC) - Place: Albuquerque, NM - Coordinates: 35.038887, -106.608329 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0389&lon=-106.6083&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 18, 2019 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Albuequerque FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 96170 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN18LA006 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/96170/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96170 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18LA006 ## Probable cause The steep approach and hard landing after the balloon encountered unexpected high wind conditions, which resulted in a serious injury to a passenger. ## 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 · Contributed to outcome (probable cause); 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) - [Performance/control parameters: descent/approach/glide path](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Capability exceeded (probable cause); cases with it: [Cameron Balloons US N-105, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040/cases.md?model=1880217), [All aircraft, 809 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040/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-flare/touchdown: 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 commercial pilot stated that, after departure in the balloon, the surface wind increased to about 20 knots during the 1-hour flight. Due to the balloon's direction of flight approaching restricted airspace, the pilot decided to land at the first suitable landing site, which was bordered by power lines and trees to the north and residential homes 100 yards to the south. He landed the balloon in a steep descent to reduce the risk of the basket being dragged on the ground and briefed the passengers to bend their knees and brace for impact. The basket made firm ground contact upon landing and tipped over. The wind dragged the basket about 30 ft before it came to rest. One passenger sustained a broken foot during the hard landing. The pilot reported that wind conditions were predicted to be light, and that the conditions he experienced were not forecast. He further stated that he was not familiar with the local flying area, and had he familiarized himself with the area, including potential landing areas and weather patterns, he may have been able to avoid being pressured to land in high-wind conditions. ## Factual narrative On October 7, 2017, about 0900 mountain daylight time, a Cameron N-105 balloon, N29922, landed hard in a field located on the Kirtland Air Force Base (AFB), Albuquerque, New Mexico. The pilot and two passengers were not injured, and one passenger received a serious injury. The balloon was not damaged. The balloon was owned and operated by HCP Aviation under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the flight, which was not on a flight plan. The balloon departed the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque about 0800 on a local flight. The pilot reported it was the fourth time that he participated in the Albuquerque Balloon Festival as a pilot-in-command. He stated that about 500 balloons departed from the Balloon Fiesta Park that morning, and he departed in one of the later scheduled groups. He stated that he departed in a southeast direction. After about 30 to 40 minutes, the wind speed started to increase to 10 to 15 knots, and he couldn't change directions by changing his altitude. The balloon was headed for the Kirtland AFB, which is a prohibited zone for the Balloon Festival. He stated that he was concerned about how much propane remained and the airspace constraints. He decided it was best to get the balloon on the ground at the nearest available landing site. Due to the high winds at the surface, which he estimated were about 20 knots, he flew a steep approach to get the basket firmly on the ground. He stated that a steep approach made for a harder impact due to vertical velocity, but it was necessary because he did not want the basket dragged by the wind. He stated that the landing site was bordered by power lines and trees on the north and residential homes 100 yards to the south. He briefed the passengers to bend their knees and brace for impact. Upon ground contact, the balloon basket made firm ground contact and tipped over. The wind dragged the balloon for about 30 ft before it came to rest. One passenger suffered a broken foot during the landing. The accident site was located about 8 nautical miles from the Balloon Fiesta Park on a 165° bearing. He stated that the winds were predicted to be light, and the high winds he encountered were unexpected. He reported that balloons that landed about 1 mile west or more from the accident site encountered much lighter winds and experienced better landings. Another balloon that was next to his landed in the same area at the Kirtland AFB as he did. They also had a hard landing due to the winds but did not experience any injuries. He stated that had he been more familiar with the local weather patterns that he might have made different decisions in the early part of the flight. He thought that the area where he landed might have been catching winds that were being affected by the nearby mountains. Had he known that, he might have tried to keep the balloon further to the westwhere it might not have been affected as much by the local conditions. At 0852, the surface weather observation at ABQ was wind 340° at 8 knots; sky clear; 10 miles visibility; temperature 12° C; dew point -5° C; and altimeter 30.16 inches of mercury. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N29922](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N29922), registered now, S/N 5225, built 1986 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CAMERON N-105 - 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: 5225 - Year built: 1986 - Airframe hours: 615 - Damage: No damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Balloon - Last inspection: Annual, September 10, 2017 - Departed: Albuquerque, NM - Destination: Albuquerque, NM - Equipment: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 26; injuries: serious; commercial; seat: none; restraint: none; flight hours: 152 total, 16 in this make and model, 145 as pilot in command, 11 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 340° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 54 °F, dew point 23 °F - Altimeter: 30.15 inHg - Observed at: ABQ, 1 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 20171007021339A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20171007021339A), Oct 7, 2017: Cameron Balloons US N-105, Albuquerque, NM, No damage. On October 7, 2017 at 0900 MDT a Cameron N-105 N29922, registered to hcp aviation services encountered a hard landing at Kirtland Afb, Albuquerque, new Mexico… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 25, 2018, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96170. 4.3 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40462501&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - NTSB Record of Conversation (item 2, .PDF, 58 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40462502&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTSB%20Record%20of%20Conversation-Master.PDF - Aerial Images of the Accident Site (item 3, .PDF, 3 photos, 2.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40462503&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Aerial%20Images%20of%20the%20Accident%20Site-Master.PDF - Weather Observations (item 4, .PDF, 333 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40462504&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Observations-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. --- 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.