# NTSB ERA21LA290: Cameron 0-105, N2925L, Piermont, NH, July 15, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: July 15, 2021, 19:45 local (23:45 UTC) - Place: Piermont, NH - Coordinates: 44.007327, -72.091022 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.0073&lon=-72.0910&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal, 1 minor, 3 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: Cameron Balloons, FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 103490 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA21LA290 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/103490/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103490 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA290 ## Probable cause The balloon pilot’s delay in relighting the burner, which resulted in a hard landing and his ejection from the balloon. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cameron Balloons 0-105, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md?model=1880113), [All aircraft, 1,391 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: descent rate](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cameron Balloons 0-105, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037/cases.md?model=1880113), [All aircraft, 242 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900); cases with it: [Cameron Balloons 0-105, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md?model=1880113), [All aircraft, 1,556 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md) - [Enroute-descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Cameron Balloons 0-105, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=1880113), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Cameron Balloons 0-105, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=1880113), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) ## Analysis The balloon departed with the pilot and four passengers for a commercial sightseeing flight. About 45 minutes into the flight, the burner’s pilot light extinguished. The pilot told the passengers that he had to switch propane tanks; however, he could not locate the striker to relight the burner. The balloon started to descend while the pilot searched the balloon basket for the striker, and several minutes later, he located a backup striker. The balloon had descended close to the ground by the time the pilot re-lit the pilot light, and he could not get the balloon to climb before impacting a field. One passenger and the pilot were thrown from the basket upon impact. The balloon then started to rise, and the pilot’s foot was trapped between the balloon attach rope and the basket frame. The pilot untangled his foot but remained hanging below the basket for about 1 mile before falling to a field and suffering fatal injuries. The remaining passengers contacted ground support personnel via a handheld radio and received instructions on how to operate the balloon controls in preparation for landing. The balloon traveled about another 3.5 miles before landing in trees. Examination of the balloon did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Had the pilot been able to relight the burner in a timely manner, it was likely that he would have been able to sufficiently arrest the balloon’s descent rate to prevent the hard landing. ## Factual narrative On July 15, 2021, about 1945 eastern daylight time, a Cameron Balloons 0-105, N2925L, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Piermont, New Hampshire. The pilot was fatally injured, one passenger received minor injuries, and three passengers were not injured. The balloon was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 commercial sightseeing flight. The pilot was the owner and operator of the balloon. According to a passenger, the balloon departed Post Mills Airport (2B9), Post Mills, Vermont, about 1830 with the pilot and four passengers onboard and flew northeast along the Connecticut River toward Bradford, Vermont. The balloon was aloft about 45 minutes when the pilot reported the pilot light on the burner had extinguished. He changed the propane tank, but could not locate the striker to relight the burner. The balloon started to descend while the pilot searched the balloon basket for the striker. He did not locate the original striker, but did locate the backup in a supply pocket several minutes later. The balloon had descended close to the ground by then and the pilot re-lit the pilot light; however, he could not get the balloon to climb before impacting a field. One passenger and the pilot were thrown from the basket upon impact. The balloon then started to rise, and the pilot’s foot was trapped between the balloon attach rope and the basket frame. The pilot untangled his foot, but remained hanging below the basket for an estimated 1.25 miles before falling to a field near the Connecticut River. The remaining passengers contacted the balloon ground support personnel via a handheld radio and received instructions on how to operate the balloon controls in preparation for landing. The balloon traveled about 3.45 miles from the ejection site before landing in trees. The pilot, age 72, held a commercial pilot certificate with a rating for lighter-than-air balloon and private privileges for airplane single-engine land. Additionally, he held a repairman certificate for hot air balloon and airship. Review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records revealed that the pilot’s most recent third-class medical certificate was issued on May 25, 1993. At that time, he reported a total flight experience of 4,500 hours. The pilot’s logbook was not recovered. The aircraft logbooks were not recovered. Review of the FAA database revealed that the registration matched a Cameron balloon manufactured in 1984; however, the pilot had modified the balloon such that, at the time of the accident, no component of the balloon was manufactured by Cameron. The balloon was examined following its recovery to the pilot’s hangar. The examination revealed that the basket and burner were originally manufactured by Galaxy Balloons and modified by the pilot, the propane gas tanks were manufactured by Worthington, and the envelope was built by the pilot. The basket, propane tanks, and burner operated normally. The burner’s pilot lightlighted without difficulty. The envelope was removed from its storage bag and laid out for examination. No preimpact anomalies were noted with the basket or envelope that would have precluded normal operation. Toxicological testing of the pilot revealed metoprolol (a beta blocker to reduce blood pressure) in blood and urine. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2925L](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2925L), registered now, S/N 5050, built 1984 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CAMERON 0-105 - Registry model: [Cameron Balloons 0-105](https://openairdocs.org/model/cameron-balloons-0-105) (registry code 1880113) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Balloon - Serial number: 0-105 - Year built: 1984 - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Other work use, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Balloon - Departed: 2B9, Post Mills, VT - Equipment: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 72; injuries: fatal; private, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; seat: none; restraint: none; toxicology performed; flight hours: 4,500 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 160° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 66 °F - Altimeter: 29.97 inHg - Observed at: LEB, 23 nm away - METAR: KLEB 152353Z 16004KT 10SM CLR 23/19 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP138 T02330194 10306 20233 56012 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20210715021779A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210715021779A), Jul 15, 2021: Experimental EXPERIMENTAL, Piermont, NH, Substantial damage, 1 fatal. Pilot ran out of fuel in one tank, and did not switch tanks and reignitie the burner in time to avoid impact with the terrain. Pilot and one passenger were… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 6, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103490. 3.2 MB in all. - Memorandum for the record - passenger interview (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 179 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15383616&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MFR%20Passenger%20Interview_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Map of accident site (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 552 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15382396&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Map-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for the record - wreckage examination (item 3, PDF, 4 pages, 931 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15381254&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MFR%20Wreckage%20Examination-Rel.pdf - Photo array (item 4, PDF, 5 pages, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15381942&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-Rel.pdf - Toxicological report (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 193 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15382144&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Tox_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Statement of party representatives to NTSB investigation (item 6, PDF, 9 pages, 269 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15381962&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Party%20Form-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.