- Date
- June 2, 2003, 20:07 local (Jun 3, 2003, 01:07 UTC)
- Place
- Cottage Grove, MN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 8 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N52461Aerostar S-77A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA- Minneapolis FSDO
- Case key
- 57139
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 inadequate touchdown by the pilot.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
A passenger was seriously injured during a hard landing in a balloon ride . The pilot released a line to his chase crew, who were unsuccessful in slowing the balloon down. The pilot then climbed to clear obstacles and deployed the parachute top vent to descend onto a baseball field. The pilot deployed the aero chute vent during flare. The balloon bounced three to four times before stopping.
Factual narrative
On June 2, 2003, at 2007 central daylight time, an Aerostar S-77A, N52461, operated by Wiederkehr Balloon International, Inc., experienced a hard landing after a steep approach to a field near Cottage Grove, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot and seven passengers reported no injuries, and one passenger reported serious injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 balloon ride flight was not operating on a flight plan. The local flight departed about 1900.
The pilot reported that he attempted to land in a hay field. A line was dropped to the chase crew, who were unsuccessful in slowing the balloon down. The crew released the line allowing the balloon to climb over obstacles. The pilot stated he deployed the parachute top vent to descend onto a baseball field. He deployed the aero chute vent to flare the balloon before touching down. The balloon bounced "three or four times" before coming to a stop in the upright position.
A passenger sustained a broken rib.
The ride balloon was undamaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52461
- Reported as
- Aerostar S-77A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 3031
- Airframe hours
- 150
- Engine
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wiederkehr Ballooons International Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2003 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- Lakeland, MN
- Destination
- Cottage Grove, MN
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- December 28, 2002
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- MSP, 12 nm away