# NTSB CHI06LA208: Aerostar International RX 8, N3639Q, Claremont, MN, July 21, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 20, 2006, 19:30 local (Jul 21, 2006, 00:30 UTC) - Place: Claremont, MN - Coordinates: 44.039577, -92.989295 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.0396&lon=-92.9893&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 29, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 64224 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI06LA208 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/64224/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI06LA208 ## Probable cause The procedure not followed by the passenger during landing and the inadequate supervision of the passenger by the pilot during landing. A contributing factors were the barbed wire fence. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, landing - object - fence (contributing factor) - In flight collision with terrain/water, landing - terrain condition - other - procedures/directives - not followed, passenger (cause) - supervision - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis A passenger sustained a broken ankle upon landing during a balloon flight. The balloon struck a barbed wire fence and then impacted a road bank. The passenger stated that during the landing, the chase crew yelled out there was a fence. The pilot stated that the passenger was observed not following landing instructions by not facing the direction of travel but her left side was facing the direction of travel. She stated that they had been taught during the class to face the direction of travel with knees flexed for landing. She stated that there was not enough room in the basket with her husband standing behind her and the pilot standing to her left. She was holding onto a rope handle in the balloon and was trying to move a water bottle on the floor of the basket with her left foot at the time of the landing. ## Factual narrative On July 20, 2006, at 1930 central daylight time, an Aerostar International, Inc., RX 8, N3639Q, piloted by a commercial pilot, struck a wire fence during landing near Claremont, Minnesota. No damage to the balloon was reported. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 business flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot and one passenger were uninjured, and a second passenger received serious injuries. The flight originated from Dodge Center, Minnesota, at 1902. The pilot stated that he departed from a nursing home located in Dodge Center and flew to the southeast for 30 minutes. While landing, the balloon struck an "old barbed wire fence [and] post." The balloon then struck a road bank. He stated that the road was flat with a 1-2 foot ditch on the side of the road. The pilot stated that the balloon and basket were not damaged, and the passenger sustained a broken ankle. The pilot stated that the passenger was observed not following landing instructions by not facing the direction of travel but had her left side facing the direction of travel. The passenger stated that she and her husband were in a class of four people attending a community college continuing education class on balloons taught by the pilot. She stated that they had been taught during the class to face the direction of travel with knees flexed for landing. She stated that there was not enough room in the basket with her husband standing behind her and the pilot standing to her left. During landing, one of the balloon chase crew yelled that there was a fence. She was holding onto a rope handle in the balloon and was trying to move a water bottle on the floor of the basket with her left foot. During the impact, she remained in the basket and became unconscious. She sustained a broken left ankle. The pilot received a balloon rating on his commercial pilot certificate on July 15, 2006. He accumulated a total flight time in lighter than air aircraft of 47.5 hours, of which 24.9 hours were in the last 90 days and 13 hours were in the last 30 days. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3639Q](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3639Q-2013-10-25), registration cancelled 2013-10-25, S/N RX8-3057, built 1990 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Aerostar International, Inc. RX 8 - Registry model: [Aerostar International RX 8](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerostar-international-rx-8) (registry code 7487008) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Balloon - Serial number: RX8-3057 - Airframe hours: 320.1 - Damage: No damage - Flight: Other work use, Part 91 - Operator: Pilot - Registered owner: Claremone Cloud Dancers Balloon Co - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 1, 2006 - Departed: Dodge Center, MN - Destination: Clairmont, MN ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 52; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2; last flight review July 1, 2006; flight hours: 1,085 total, 48 in this make and model, 992 as pilot in command, 25 in the last 90 days, 13 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 330° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 68 °F - Altimeter: 30.09 inHg - Observed at: TOB ## 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 20060720020029A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060720020029A), Jul 20, 2006: Arostr RX8, Dodge Center, MN. (-23) Balloon N3639Q departed Dodge Center, MN (ktob) at 19:02 CDT. N3639Q first contacted a fence while maneuvering to land on a road 2 miles se of the… 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.