- Date
- March 27, 2022, 19:10 local (Mar 28, 2022, 00:10 UTC)
- Place
- Yutan, NE
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9106QAerostar International RXS-8
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Cabin safety event
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20220327006689A
- Case key
- 104855
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 brace during landing which resulted in a serious injury during the landing sequence.
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 pilot reported that he conducted a steep approach to a field with the intention of landing in between two obstacles. The balloon cleared the first obstacle with a descent rate of 250 ft per minute. The basket touched down on its short side, near the corner. The pilot was thrown forward and down as he pulled the red line; his foot caught on the basket wall then twisted. The balloon bounced once or twice before it came to rest on its side. The pilot reported that there were no anomalies with the balloon that would have precluded normal operations. The balloon sustained minor damage and the passengers were not injured; however, the pilot sustained a serious ankle injury.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9106Q
- Reported as
- Aerostar International RXS-8
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- RXS8-3027
- Built
- 1993
- Airframe hours
- 303
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 29, 2021
- Departed
- Omaha, NE
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Handheld GPS
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
- 42
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- October 30, 2020
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 45 total · 28 in this make and model · 33 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- KAHQ, 9 nm away
- METAR
- KAHQ 272355Z AUTO 10006KT 10SM CLR 04/M12 A3019 RMK AO2 T00371124 10044 20012
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 22, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.4 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.