# NTSB ERA26LA288: Balony Kubicek Spol Sro BB45Z, N9532Z, Johnstown, PA, July 23, 2026

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Investigation open
- Date: July 23, 2026, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place: Johnstown, PA · The Johnstown Galleria/Mall Parking Lot
- Coordinates: 40.295737, -78.833432 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.2957&lon=-78.8334&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Prior to flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/100) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Prior to flight: Ground handling event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/080)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 2 minor, 4 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA/FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 203523
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA26LA288
- Latest NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/203523/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA288

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Prior to flight: Ground handling event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/080) (defining event); cases with it: [Balony Kubicek Spol Sro BB45Z, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/080/sequence.md?model=137050A), [All aircraft, 108 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/080/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N9532Z](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9532Z), registered now, S/N 1420 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BALONY KUBICEK SPOL SRO BB45Z
- Registry model: [Balony Kubicek Spol Sro BB45Z](https://openairdocs.org/model/balony-kubicek-spol-sro-bb45z) (registry code 137050A) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Balloon
- Serial number: 1420
- Year built: 2018
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Other work use, Part 91
- Registered owner: Jw Group Holdings Company LLC
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Balloon
- Destination: Same as departure
- Airport: NA

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 320° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observed at: JST, 1 nm away
- METAR: METAR KJST 232154Z AUTO 32003KT 10SM CLR 21/08 A3022 RMK AO2 SLP229 T02110083=

## 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 20260723009199A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260723009199A), Jul 23, 2026: Balony Kubicek Spol Sro BB45Z, Johnstown, PA, Minor damage. A balloon business owner contracted with the owner of the Johnstown galleria mall to participate in the 2026 Cambria county community heroes carnival. The…

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.