# NTSB DEN04CA072: Lindstrand Balloons 180A, N60181, Ridgeway, CO, May 22, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: May 22, 2004, 08:00 local (14:00 UTC) - Place: Ridgeway, CO - Coordinates: 38.166667, -107.783332 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.1667&lon=-107.7833&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 2 minor, 4 uninjured - Status: Completed, report September 1, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 59274 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN04CA072 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/59274/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN04CA072 ## Probable cause the sudden wind gusts and the pilot's failure to maintain control of the balloon resulting in the balloon's basket impacting two vehicles and a house, and subsequently impacting the terrain. Factors relating to the accident were the two vehicles, the house, and the pilot's delay in taking remedial action to stop the balloon. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, landing - weather condition - gusts (cause) - In flight collision with object, landing - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - remedial action - delayed, pilot in command (contributing factor) - object - vehicle (contributing factor) - object - residence (contributing factor) - In flight collision with terrain/water, landing - terrain condition - ground ## Analysis The pilot reported that while landing the wind changed directions taking his balloon up a slight draw between houses. The pilot said he elected to land on a hillside and wait for his crew. The pilot said they had been there for about a minute when a sudden gust of wind came up the draw and pushed the balloon in the air. The pilot said the balloon headed east toward a house at a rapid rate. He said the basket struck a boat, a ladder rack on a truck, and the edge of the roof of the house. The balloon then returned to the ground and was drug up a hill to its crest. At the crest of the hill the balloon again became airborne. The balloon again came down, this time on a road. The pilot said he ripped out the top to deflate the balloon. The balloon then bounced down the hillside before dragging the basket on its side for a short distance. The pilot said the balloon then came to rest and deflated. The pilot said the seriously injured passenger, on getting down in the basket, sat down hard. The pilot said the bottom of the basket sustained minor damage. The balloon envelope experienced some ripped panels. At 0752, the reported wind conditions at Montrose, Colorado, 25 miles north of the accident site were 210 degrees at 17 knots gusting to 20 knots. ## Factual narrative On May 22, 2004, at 0800 mountain daylight time, a Lindstrand 180A hot air balloon, N60181, operated by the Bighorn Balloon Company, LLC, encountered gusting wind conditions during landing near Ridgeway, Colorado. The balloon was dragged and subsequently struck vehicles and a house before coming to rest at the bottom of a hill. One of the six passengers on board sustained a serious back injury. Two passengers sustained minor injuries. The commercial pilot and three other passengers on board the balloon were not injured. The sight-seeing flight was operating under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local flight departed at 0700. In his written statement, the pilot reported that while landing the wind changed directions taking his balloon up a slight draw between houses. The pilot said he elected to land on a hillside and wait for his crew. The pilot said they had been there for about a minute when a sudden gust of wind came up the draw and pushed the balloon in the air. The pilot said the balloon headed east toward a house at a rapid rate. He said the basket struck a boat, a ladder rack on a truck, and the edge of the roof of the house. The balloon then returned to the ground and was drug up a hill to its crest. At the crest of the hill the balloon again became airborne. The balloon again came down, this time on a road. The balloon then bounced down the hillside before dragging the basket on its side for a short distance. The pilot said the balloon then came to rest and deflated. In an interview statement, the pilot said that when the balloon crested the hill, it then "caught a rotor on the backside" and dropped into a bowl. The pilot said he ripped out the top. The balloon struck the ground at the bottom of the hill and stopped. The pilot said the seriously injured passenger, on getting down in the basket, sat down hard. The pilot said the bottom of the basket sustained minor damage. The balloon envelope experienced some ripped panels. A local Marshall said that the balloon was part of festival that was going on at Ridgeway. He said the balloon was one of 12 balloons that took off about 0700. He said the balloons drifted north over the town at approximately 300 feet above the ground. The Marshall said the winds were calm when the balloons took off. He said the winds picked up significantly as the hour passed. At 0752, the reported wind conditions at Montrose, Colorado, 25 miles north of the accident site were 210 degrees at 17 knots gusting to 20 knots. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N60181](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N60181-2021-03-06), registration cancelled 2021-03-06, S/N 5135, built 2000 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Lindstrand Balloons 180A - Registry model: [Lindstrand Balloons 180A](https://openairdocs.org/model/lindstrand-balloons-180a) (registry code 5180003) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Balloon - Serial number: 5135 - Damage: Minor damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Bighorn Balloon Company, LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: Ridgeway, CO ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 47; injuries: none; commercial; flight hours: 1,386 total, 3 in this make and model, 4 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day ## 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 20040522009089A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040522009089A), May 22, 2004: Lbl 180ALBL, Ridgeway, CO, Minor damage. (-23) On 5/22/04, balloon pilot mark irving was flying a balloon, a lindstrand 180A, N60181, near Ridgeway, CO. He was carrying six passengers and was part of… 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.