- Date
- April 26, 2009, 08:00 local (12:00 UTC)
- Place
- Louisville, KY
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N877LXArbc Inc DBA Lindstrand 60X
- Defining event
- Landing: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090426005099A
- Case key
- 73755
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 passenger's inadequate bracing during landing.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the balloon located a landing area after completing a racing event. The pilot stated that he briefed the passenger prior to the landing to hold on to the basket handles. The pilot positioned himself in the front of the basket, with the passenger behind him. The landing was a normal, "stand-up landing." The passenger lost her grip from the handles and she consequently pitched forward as they bumped the ground and came to a stop. The passenger complained that her ankle hurt as she exited the basket. At first it was believed the passenger suffered a sprained ankle. A medical evaluation, 2 days later, discovered a fracture above the ankle.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the balloon located a landing area after completing a racing event. The pilot stated that he briefed the passenger prior to the landing, to hold on to the basket handles. The pilot positioned himself in the front of the basket, with the passenger behind him. The landing was a normal, "stand-up landing." The passenger lost her grip from the handles and she consequently pitched forward as they bumped the ground and came to a stop. The passenger complained that her ankle hurt as she exited the basket. At first it was believed the passenger suffered a sprained ankle. A medical evaluation, 2 days later, discovered a fracture above the ankle.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N877LX
- Reported as
- Arbc Inc DBA Lindstrand 60X
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 5279
- Airframe hours
- 32
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Air race/show · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2009
- Departed
- Louisville, KY
- Destination
- Louisville, KY
- Airport
- SDF · Louisville International Airpo
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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- September 23, 2008
- Flight hours
- 1,153 total · 52 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- SDF, 13 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 5, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 363 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.