- Date
- July 11, 2004, 07:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 2 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N410LBLindstrand Balloons 120A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20040711015149A
- Case key
- 59610
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/obtain the proper descent rate.
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
During the landing, the balloon impacted the ground hard and tipped over. Two passengers from one side of the balloon fell on top of two passengers on the other side of the balloon causing serious injury to two passengers.
Factual narrative
On July 11, 2004, at approximately 0700 mountain daylight time, a Lindstrand Balloon 120A, N410LB, piloted by a commercial pilot, landed hard and tipped over near Albuquerque, New Mexico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The scenic flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and two passengers reported no injuries; however, two passengers received serious injuries. The local flight originated at 0620.
According to the pilot's report, during the landing, the balloon impacted the ground hard and tipped over. Two passengers from one side of the balloon fell on top of two passengers on the other side of the balloon. One passenger received a fractured rib and the other passenger received a broken ankle.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N410LB
- Reported as
- Lindstrand Balloons 120A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 5190
- Airframe hours
- 197.2
- Engine
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Rainbow Riders
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 14, 2004 · 36 hours before
- Departed
- Albuquerque, NM
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
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- August 22, 2003
- Flight hours
- 358 total · 16 in this make and model · 358 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 13,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- ABQ
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.