- Date
- December 28, 1991, 09:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Littleton, CO
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9517PCameron V-77
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911228062549A
- Case key
- 18188
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's improper landing procedure, including wrong compensation for wind conditions and improper use of the envelope dump control. A factor was: high wind.
Analysis
The balloon pilot said the wind velocity increased after he had been flying for a period of time, and he decided to make a rapid descent to landing. The winds were stronger than he anticipated and he was unable to level off. A hard landing resulted and the balloon was dragged across the ground, despite having pulled the envelope dump valve. The pilot released the control in order to assist a passenger who was striking her head on the ground. An FAA balloon inspector said the pilot used the incorrect high wind landing procedures.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9517P
- Reported as
- Cameron V-77
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 56341
- Airframe hours
- 52
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David & Janet Woods
- Registered owner
- David & Janet Woods
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 8, 1991 · 14 hours before
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Flight hours
- 65 total · 65 in this make and model · 53 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 15 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.