- Date
- June 23, 1990, 08:50 local (13:50 UTC)
- Place
- Peaster, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N99USPiccard P-80
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900623022139A
- Case key
- 23143
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
An excessive rate of descent during the approach.
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, as he approached the landing site, had the vent open in order to make his intended touchdown point. A hard landing resulted and the basket tipped over. The balloon burner pilot light ignited a grass fire resulting in serious burns being inflicted upon the pilot and the destruction of the balloon. A witness reported that the balloon burners were operating 'constantly' during the final approach.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N99US
- Reported as
- Piccard P-80
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 6-99
- Airframe hours
- 240
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul Dobbs
- Registered owner
- Richard Conn
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 22, 1989 · 2 hours before
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Flight hours
- 2,405 total · 2,137 in this make and model · 1,063 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 135° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N99US · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.