# NTSB ERA23LA315: Head Balloons AX8-88, N4522E, Guilford, CT, July 24, 2023 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: July 23, 2023, 21:24 local (Jul 24, 2023, 01:24 UTC) - Place: Guilford, CT · Guilford Fair Grounds - Coordinates: 41.27954, -72.67627 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.2795&lon=-72.6763&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Standing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/150) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Standing: Aircraft loading event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/010) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 3 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 192734 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA23LA315 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/192734/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=192734 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23LA315 ## Probable cause The pilot’s inadequate supervision of the boarding process and the ground crewmember’s failure to immediately let go of the balloon after it began an inadvertent climb. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Attention/monitoring: task monitoring/vigilance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Head Balloons AX8-88, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520/cases.md?model=4280200), [All aircraft, 330 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520/cases.md) - [Action: delayed action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Ground crew (probable cause); cases with it: [Head Balloons AX8-88, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md?model=4280200), [All aircraft, 894 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Standing: Aircraft loading event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/010) (defining event); cases with it: [Head Balloons AX8-88, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/010/sequence.md?model=4280200), [All aircraft, 84 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/010/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot had been operating the hot air balloon for several hours and was providing tethered flights to passengers at a fairground during a night event. The pilot described that at the conclusion of a several minute flight, he would land and exchange passengers. To maintain the weight of the balloon during the passenger exchange, one passenger would disembark and then would be replaced by a boarding passenger. There were also several (volunteer) ground crewmembers who would keep their weight on the balloon’s basket and help control the flow of passengers in and out of the basket. Shortly before the accident, the pilot was assisting a passenger with boarding when two passengers unexpectedly disembarked. The balloon suddenly started to rise, and the pilot yelled, “clear, watch the ropes,” which was the signal to the ground crewmembers to take their hands off the basket and to make sure that none of the exiting passengers got caught in the tether ropes. As the balloon rose, the pilot felt a shake, and when he looked over the side of the basket, he saw one of the ground crewmembers lying on the ground. One of the passengers described that when she stepped off the balloon, it began rising. She saw a ground crewmember hanging on the outside of the basket as it climbed. When the balloon reached about 15 to 20 feet above the ground, the ground crewmember let go. The ground crewmember was seriously injured during the fall. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4522E](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4522E), registered now, S/N 183 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: HEAD BALLOONS INC AX8-88 - Registry model: [Head Balloons AX8-88](https://openairdocs.org/model/head-balloons-ax8-88) (registry code 4280200) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Balloon - Serial number: 183 - Year built: 1992 - Airframe hours: 659 - Damage: No damage - Flight: Aerial observation, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Balloon - Last inspection: Annual, October 1, 2022 - Airport: NONE, Fairground - Equipment: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 74; injuries: none; commercial; seat: none; restraint: none; flight hours: 2,328 total, 60 in this make and model, 2,310 as pilot in command, 23 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: calm ## 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 20230723010369A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230723010369A), Jul 23, 2023: Head Balloons Inc AX8-88, Guilford, CT, No damage. On July 23, 2023 at approximately 2142 EST, a Head balloons AX8-88 was providing tethered rides at the [privacy data omitted] to observe a laser light show.… ## Other investigations on N4522E (1) 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. - [NTSB SEA02LA122](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA02LA122), Jul 5, 2002: Head Balloons AX8-88 (N4522E), Victor, ID, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from the power lines during the landing resulting in the balloon's impacting the wires. Contributing factors were the power lines and strong winds… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 22, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=192734. 2.8 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16685618&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - FAA inspector statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 72 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16685823&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%20Statment-Rel.pdf - Summary of FAA interview with pilot (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 72 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16692089&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%20Interview%20Summary_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Witness statements (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 571 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16685922&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Witness%20Statements%20-%20Police%20Report_Redacted-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.