- Date
- March 20, 2021, 09:25 local (14:25 UTC)
- Place
- Celina, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4505BCameron Balloons Z-90
- Defining event
- Approach: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO North Texas
- FAA report
- 20210320003379A
- Case key
- 102804
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 malfunction of the balloon’s envelope venting system during landing in high wind, which resulted in the balloon being dragged along the ground, substantially damaging the envelope.
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
The commercial pilot reported that while setting up to land in a field following a 1.3 hour flight to reestablish his solo currency, he noted on final approach that the venting system, used to release air from the envelope for descents, landings, and deflation, had malfunctioned. The pilot attempted to correct the problem while continuing to land. Immediately on landing, the balloon began to spinnaker and drag along the ground. The balloon finally came to a stop beneath powerlines adjacent to a road. The balloon sustained substantial damage to several lower panels of the envelope between the skirt and the equator. The pilot reported that not all the Velcro tabs to the parachute top of the venting system may have properly released prior to launch, which he believed was responsible for the outcome he experienced. The pilot also reported the wind was higher at the time of the accident than it was at the time of the launch, which was 5 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4505B
- Reported as
- Cameron Balloons Z-90 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 6317
- Built
- 2003
- Airframe hours
- 349
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ret Richard V
- Registered owner
- Ret Richard V
- Airworthiness certificate
- None
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 13, 2021 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- TKI · Mckinney, TX
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- None
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
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Sport pilot, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 11, 2020
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 939 total · 939 in this make and model · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.36 inHg
- Observed at
- KTKI, 12 nm away
- METAR
- KTKI 201353Z 12005KT 10SM CLR 09/05 A3036 RMK AO2 SLP289 T00890050
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 14, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 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.