- Date
- November 30, 2002, 07:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Montrose, CO
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5303ZCameron Balloons O-70
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Salt Lake City Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20021130031929A
- Case key
- 56145
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 unforecasted increase in wind velocity. A contributing factor was the fence that the basket struck, subsequently spilling the occupants onto the ground.
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
The pilot said this was his second flight of the morning, and the wind was approximately 3 knots. He said that during the flight, the wind increased to approximately 10 knots. During a landing attempt in an open field, the pilot said the basket struck a fence, subsequently spilling the occupants onto the ground. The balloon flew for an additional 8 to 10 minutes before the balloon's basket caught on a second fence. The ground crew retrieved the balloon, which incurred no damage.
Factual narrative
On November 30, 2002, at approximately 0730 mountain standard time, a Cameron Balloons (U.S.) O-70 balloon, N5303Z, was not damaged during a high wind near Montrose, Colorado. The commercial pilot received minor injuries, and his two passengers received serious injuries when they fell from the basket. The aircraft was being operated by the pilot under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight that originated approximately 20 minutes before the accident.
The pilot said this was his second flight of the morning, and the wind was approximately 3 knots. He said that during the flight, the wind increased to approximately 10 knots. During a landing attempt in an open field, the pilot said the basket struck a fence, subsequently spilling the occupants onto the ground. The balloon flew for an additional 8 to 10 minutes before the balloon's basket caught on a second fence. The ground crew retrieved the balloon, which incurred no damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5303Z
- Reported as
- Cameron Balloons O-70
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 6151
- Airframe hours
- 119
- Engine
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Daniel L. Crouch
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2002 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Montrose, CO
- Airport
- MTJ · Montrose Regional
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
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- August 16, 2002
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 21 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- MTJ, 3 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.