- Date
- October 15, 2006, 08:50 local (14:50 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9019AAdams A55S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20061015021249A
- Case key
- 64719
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 improper in-flight planning/decision. A contributing factor was the unfavorable wind.
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
As the balloon drifted south and approached Interstate Highway 40, the southerly wind of about 5 knots increased in velocity and the pilot decided to land. He saw an open field and made his landing approach. A "strong wind shear drove the balloon into the ground." During the ground impact, the envelope contacted power lines, causing several panels to sustain burn damage and thermally severed 7 of the16 suspension cables.
Factual narrative
On October 15, 2006, approximately 0850 mountain daylight time, an Adams A55S balloon, N9019A, piloted by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged when the it struck power lines during descent at Albuquerque, New Mexico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot was not injured but two passengers received minor injuries. The local flight originated from the Albuquerque Balloon Festival Park approximately 0815.
According to the pilot's accident report and the statement he gave FAA inspectors, the balloon was drifting south and approaching Interstate Highway 40. The southerly wind of about 5 knots increased in velocity and the pilot decided to land. He saw an open field and made his landing approach. A "strong wind shear drove the balloon into the ground." The balloon contacted the power lines, grounding them and causing a power loss. Although no load tapes were damaged, several panels in the envelope below the equator had burn holes. In addition, 7 of 16 suspension cables were thermally severed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9019A
- Reported as
- Adams A55S
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 017
- Airframe hours
- 560
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jeffrey J. Stocker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2006
- Departed
- NONE · Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- 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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2005
- Flight hours
- 100 total · 30 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- AB Q, 5 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.