- Date
- April 27, 2019, 08:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- La Mesa, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N901UMUltramagic S90
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 20, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Stabdards District Office
- FAA report
- 20190427003529A
- Case key
- 99328
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 improper decision to launch the balloon in known high wind conditions, and his failure to fully vent the balloon upon landing, which resulted in the balloon landing hard several times, tipping over, being pushed along uneven ground, and a serious passenger injury.
Findings · 4
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
According to the pilot, he was making an approach to land in a field. About 10 ft above ground level (agl), he pulled the vent chute. The balloon struck the ground travelling about 15 mph and tipped over, and then the wind pushed it across furrows for 60 ft. A wind gust lifted the partially filled balloon to about 20 ft agl. The pilot pulled the vent chute again, and after the balloon traveled another 128 ft, the basket struck the ground hard. The wind pushed the balloon for another 30 ft, and the balloon struck ditches on both sides of a road. The balloon then travelled another 88 ft through the grass and then came to a stop. The balloon was not damaged; however, one passenger sustained serious injuries, and a second passenger sustained minor injuries. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, there were 18 balloons at the launch site, one of which belonged to another FAA inspector, who had unpacked his balloon but did not launch. No other pilots unpacked their balloons due to the high winds aloft. The accident pilot was the only one to take off.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot's accident report, he was making an approach to land in a furrowed farm field. About 10 feet above the ground, he pulled the vent chute. The balloon struck the ground travelling about 15 mph, tipped over, and was dragged by the wind across furrows for 60 feet. A gust of wind lifted the partially-filled balloon back into in the air to about 20 feet. He pulled the vent chute again and after travelling another 128 feet, the basket struck the ground hard. The wind dragged the balloon for another 30 feet, striking ditches on both sides of a road. It then travelled another 88 feet through grass. The balloon was not damaged; however, one passenger sustained serious injuries and a second passenger sustained minor injuries. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, there were 18 balloons at the launch site, including an FAA Inspector. The inspector had unpacked his balloon but did not launch. No other pilots unpacked their balloons due to the of the high winds aloft. (The accident pilot) was the only one to take off.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N901UM
- Reported as
- Ultramagic S90
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 90/151
- Built
- 2017
- Airframe hours
- 51
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 27, 2019
- Departed
- La Mesa, TX
- Destination
- La Mesa, TX
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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- April 15, 2018
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 684 total · 56 in this make and model · 645 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 11,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- LUV
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 9, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.1 MB 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.