- Date
- October 13, 2001, 07:55 local (13:55 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3636ZAerostar Raven S57-A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 16, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20011013029399A
- Case key
- 53650
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
inadvertent flight into adverse (high wind) weather conditions, which resulted in an inflight collision with objects while landing. A contributing factor was the high wind weather condition.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot intended for the flight to be short; however, after takeoff, the wind increased and the balloon over flew the intended landing area. The pilot then selected a field at a school in which to land. The field had wires along its edge. As the balloon was clearing the wires, the pilot vented the balloon, but the balloon continued to float past the field, impacting a wooden telephone post located near a building. The balloon rotated, struck the building, and came to rest with its basket on a fence. The pilot reported that at the time of the accident, the wind had increased to approximately 30 knots with gusts to 35 knots. A weather reporting station located approximately 7 miles southeast of the accident site reported the wind speed at 10 knots.
Factual narrative
On October 13, 2001, at 0755 mountain daylight time, an Aerostar Raven S57-A hot-air balloon, N3636Z, was substantially damaged when it collided with a building during landing near Albuquerque, New Mexico. The balloon was registered to and operated by private individuals. The private pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries, and one passenger sustained a serious injury. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight originated from the Balloon Fiesta Park, at 0740.
The pilot reported to the FAA inspector that the intended flight was to be short; however, after takeoff, the wind increased and the balloon over flew the intended landing area. The pilot then selected a field at the Del Norte High School in which to land. The field had wires along its edge. As the balloon was clearing the wires, the pilot vented the balloon, but the balloon continued to float past the field, impacting a wooden telephone post located near a building. The balloon rotated, struck the building, and came to rest with its basket on a fence. The balloon's envelope, basket, and basket uprights were damaged.
The pilot reported that at the time of the accident, the wind had increased to approximately 30 knots with gusts to 35 knots.
At 0750, the Albuquerque International Sunport Airport (ABQ), located approximately 7 miles southeast of the accident site, reported the wind from 010 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, sky clear, temperature 7 degrees C, dew point -13 degrees C, altimeter 30.01 inches of mercury (Hg).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3636Z
- Reported as
- Aerostar Raven S57-A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- S57A-3077
- Airframe hours
- 330.6
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bradley S. Rice
- Registered owner
- Debbie Jo Heckes, Tom Fisher, Bradle Rice
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 9, 2001 · 66.6 hours before
- Departed
- Albuquerque, NM
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
- 31
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- June 7, 2000
- Flight hours
- 62 total · 62 in this make and model · 47 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- ABQ, 7 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.