# NTSB CHI07CA300: Cameron Balloons O-77, N9539G, Creston, IA, September 16, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: September 16, 2007, 08:15 local (13:15 UTC) - Place: Creston, IA - Coordinates: 41.049682, -94.359718 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.0497&lon=-94.3597&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 29, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - Des Moines - NTSB case key (mKey): 66914 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI07CA300 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/66914/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI07CA300 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadvertent flight into adverse (high wind) weather conditions, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the high wind encountered during the balloon flight and the barbed-wire fence. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - weather condition - high wind (contributing factor) - flight into adverse weather - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - object - fence (contributing factor) ## Analysis During a high-wind landing the balloon landed hard, the pilot was ejected from the basket, and the passenger pulled the envelope deflation line. The balloon came to rest against a barbed-wire fence. The passenger was seriously injured with a broken arm and the balloon's envelope was substantially damaged with several fabric tears and punctures. The accident flight was part of an organized balloon launch in conjunction with a balloon festival. At 0630, the pilot attended a prelaunch pilot meeting that included a weather briefing. At the time of that briefing the surface wind velocity was 4 knots. The surface wind velocity was forecasted to increase to approximately 10 knots by 1000 local time. Upon departure the encountered wind was greater than forecasted. As soon as it was practicable, the pilot performed a high-wind landing to an open hayfield at which time the hard landing was encountered. At 0819, a nearby weather station reported the surface wind was from the south-southeast at 4 knots, gusting to 20 knots. During the subsequent accident investigation, a wind model estimated the wind direction and velocity at approximately 700 feet agl to be from the south at 18 knots. ## Factual narrative During a high-wind landing the balloon landed hard, the pilot was ejected from the basket, and the passenger pulled the envelope deflation line. The balloon came to rest against a barbed-wire fence. The passenger was seriously injured with a broken arm and the balloon's envelope was substantially damaged with several fabric tears and punctures. The accident flight was part of an organized balloon launch in conjunction with a balloon festival. At 0630, the pilot attended a prelaunch pilot meeting that included a weather briefing. At the time of that briefing the surface wind velocity was 4 knots. The surface wind velocity was forecast to increase to approximately 10 knots by 1000 local time. Upon departure the encountered wind was greater than forecast. As soon as it was practicable, the pilot performed a high-wind landing to an open hayfield at which time the hard landing was encountered. At 0819, a nearby weather station reported the surface wind was from the south-southeast at 4 knots, gusting to 20 knots. During the subsequent accident investigation, a wind model estimated the wind direction and velocity at approximately 700 feet agl to be from the south at 18 knots. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9539G](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9539G), registered now, S/N 5585, built 1990 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cameron Balloons O-77 - Registry model: [Cameron Balloons US O-77](https://openairdocs.org/model/cameron-balloons-us-o-77) (registry code 1880207) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Balloon - Serial number: 5585 - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 1, 2007 - Departed: Creston, IA - Destination: Creston, IA ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 52; injuries: none; private; last flight review July 1, 2007; flight hours: 108 total, 108 in this make and model, 91 as pilot in command, 12 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 147° at 4 knots, gusting 20 - Visibility: 12 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 52 °F, dew point 43 °F - Altimeter: 30.03 inHg - Observed at: GFZ, 12 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 20070916020469A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070916020469A), Sep 16, 2007: Camron O77, Creston, IA, Minor damage. (-23) The balloon hit the ground hard while attempting to land in a hayfield/pasture. The pilot was thrown out of the basket on impact and the passenger was… ## Other investigations on N9539G (1) 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. - [NTSB CHI92LA293](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI92LA293), Sep 27, 1992: Cameron O-77 (N9539G), North Omaha, NE, no damage. Probable cause: THE PILOT'S ABRUPT TOUCHDOWN DURING A BALLOON LANDING. A RELATED FACTOR IS THE UNSUITABLE TERRAIN SELECTED. 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.