- Date
- August 26, 1990, 09:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Taos, NM
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N74000Cameron O-84
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 2, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900826035939A
- Case key
- 17845
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 decision to attempt a go-around. A factor was the unfavorable wind encountered late in the attempted 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
The balloon was approaching an open field for landing after an uneventful sightseeing flight. The pilot said the winds were light and the balloon's rate of descent was sufficient to clear a powerline, which it did. Approximately 5-10 feet AGL, the pilot noticed the wind had shifted and was moving the balloon towards the powerline, which at that time was about 100 feet away. The pilot fired both propane burners in an attempt to go-around. The balloon began climbing but contacted the powerline. One passenger was electrocuted and fell out of the basket. The pilot landed the balloon in an adjoining field.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N74000
- Reported as
- Cameron O-84
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 5094
- Airframe hours
- 205
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Mountain Magic, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 15, 1990 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- Taos, 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
- 47
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 125 in this make and model · 6,700 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SAF, 54 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.