# NTSB CEN25LA390: Cameron Balloons US Z-90, N418RX, Cedar Springs, MI, September 9, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: September 9, 2025, 18:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place: Cedar Springs, MI
- Coordinates: 43.2234, -85.5514 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.2234&lon=-85.5514&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report February 12, 2026
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration, Grand Rapids FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 201065
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN25LA390
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/201065/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=201065
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA390

## Probable cause

The passenger’s loss of balance during landing that resulted in a serious injury.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Personnel issues](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02010000): Personnel issues › Physical · Other (probable cause); cases with it: [Cameron Balloons US Z-90, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02010000/cases.md?model=1880312), [All aircraft, 15 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02010000/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: Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900) (defining event); cases with it: [Cameron Balloons US Z-90, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md?model=1880312), [All aircraft, 1,556 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot stated that the passengers were given a safety briefing prior to the balloon flight, in which they were informed to face forward and to secure themselves prior to landing. During landing, one of the passengers lost her balance and fell onto another passenger and sustained a serious injury to her ankle. The pilot stated there was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N418RX](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N418RX), registered now, S/N 6845, built 2018 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CAMERON BALLOONS US Z-90
- Registry model: [Cameron Balloons US Z-90](https://openairdocs.org/model/cameron-balloons-us-z-90) (registry code 1880312) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG](https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (registry code 99999) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Balloon
- Serial number: 6845
- Year built: 2018
- Airframe hours: 256.2
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Other work use, Part 91
- Operator: Michigan Hot Air Adventures
- Registered owner: Michigan Hot Air Adventures
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection: Annual, March 11, 2025
- Departed: Rockford, MI
- Equipment: None

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 65; injuries: none; commercial; medical: class 2; last flight review April 25, 2024; seat: none; restraint: none; flight hours: 1,576 total, 1,576 as pilot in command, 3 in the last 90 days, 3 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 230° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 11.5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Observed at: K8D4, 8 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 20250909017369A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250909017369A), Sep 9, 2025: Cameron Ballons Z-90, Cedar Springs, MI, No damage. On September 9, 2025, at approximately 1830 (EST) a Cameron balloon Z-90, piloted by a certificated balloon pilot (PIC) and carrying 2 passengers, came in for…

## Docket (2 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 12, 2026, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=201065. 2.9 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 2.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19783510&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20Master_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Photos (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 113 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19784152&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Template-Rel.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.