- Date
- August 6, 2000, 08:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Steamboat Spgs, CO
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 5 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5164RAerostar S-77A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 18, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000806013099A
- Case key
- 49928
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 pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a bush during the balloon landing.
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
According to the pilot, he instructed passengers on landing procedures and techniques. He said that during the landing sequence, the balloon came down short of the intended spot and impacted a small bush. The 'basket tipped to an angle of 45 degrees, then righted itself.' During this unexpected degree of tipping, one of four passengers broke her ankle. The pilot said the weather was not a factor.
Factual narrative
On August 6, 2000, approximately 0830 mountain daylight time, an Aerostar International, Inc., S-77A balloon, N5164R, was not damaged when collided with a bush during landing near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The commercial pilot and four passengers were not injured; however, one passenger was seriously injured. The balloon was being operated by Pegasus Balloon Tours under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight that originated approximately 60 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed.
According to the pilot, he instructed passengers on landing procedures and techniques. He said that during the landing sequence, the balloon came down short of the intended spot and impacted a "small bush." The "basket tipped to an angle of 45 degrees, then righted itself." During this unexpected degree of tipping, the passenger broke her ankle.
The pilot said the weather was not a factor.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5164R
- Reported as
- Aerostar S-77A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- S77A-3028
- Airframe hours
- 131
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ian Cox
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 7, 2000 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- 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
- 56
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Medical
- Unknown
- Flight hours
- 2,970 total · 51 in this make and model · 2,970 as pilot in command · 48 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HDN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.