- Date
- June 8, 2022, 06:45 local (12:45 UTC)
- Place
- Hot Springs, SD · 3.7 NE of HSR
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9158ZAerostar International RX 8
- Defining event
- Landing: Miscellaneous/other
- 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
- FAA report
- 20220608021589A
- Case key
- 105228
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 passenger lost her grip during landing in a balloon which resulted in her hitting the ground with her shoulder and suffering a serious injury.
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 reported that while slowing the balloon and preparing for landing, he briefed the passengers how to position themselves and where to hold on for landing. During the landing upon contact with the ground, the basket “pitched forward” and the female passenger lost her grip. Her shoulder struck the ground and the male passenger fell on top of her. After the balloon came to a full stop, the female passenger complained of extreme shoulder pain. During a postaccident medical examination, it was determined that the female passenger suffered a broken clavicle.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9158Z
- Reported as
- Aerostar International RX 8
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- RX8-3380
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 275.62
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wilson Petra
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 9, 2021
- Departed
- Hot Springs, SD
- Airport
- None · Hot Springs
- 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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Last flight review
- July 20, 2021
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 499 total · 8 in this make and model · 439 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 47 °F
- Altimeter
- 3007.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HSR, 2.5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 29, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.8 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.