- Date
- October 25, 2014, 08:15 local (13:15 UTC)
- Place
- Montevallo, AL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N20671Head AX8 88B
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 12, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20141025021799A
- Case key
- 90332
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 decision to conduct a landing to a confined area in high wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent injury to a passenger.
Findings · 4
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
At the conclusion of a sightseeing flight, the pilot was descending the balloon for landing in a field he had partially observed through trees. He reported that the wind speed was between 10-15 knots. As he vented the envelope and the field came into full view, he noted that there was "not much room to land;" estimating the field to be about 60-70 yards in length. The basket touched down hard and was dragged along the ground before coming to rest. The pilot and one passenger were not injured; the second passenger fell during the landing and sustained fractures to both arms. The balloon was not damaged. The pilot stated that the preflight passenger briefing included the proper brace position for landing. The pilot also reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies of the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
At the conclusion of a sightseeing flight, the pilot was descending the balloon for landing in a field he had partially observed through trees. He reported that the wind speed was between 10-15 knots. As he vented the envelope and the field came into full view, he noted that there was "not much room to land;" estimating the field to be about 60-70 yards in length. The basket touched down hard and was dragged along the ground before coming to rest. The pilot and one passenger were not injured; the second passenger fell during the landing and sustained fractures to both arms. The balloon was not damaged. The pilot stated that the preflight passenger briefing included the proper brace position for landing. The pilot also reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies of the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20671
- Reported as
- Head AX8 88B
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 386
- Built
- 2009
- Airframe hours
- 129.1
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Davis William A Jr
- Registered owner
- Davis William A Jr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 9, 2014
- Departed
- N/A · Alabaster, AL
- Destination
- N/A · Montevallo, AL
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
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Last flight review
- September 14, 2014
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 152 total · 112 in this make and model · 152 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.50 inHg
- Observed at
- KEET, 6 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 29, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 MB 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.