- Date
- July 5, 1996, 07:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Gunnison, CO
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4273YRaven S55A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 11, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960705016389A
- Case key
- 19897
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
The pilot's improper planning/decision. The weather condition (sudden high wind) was a related factor.
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 balloon pilot said that when he took off, the wind was calm. After about 15 minutes of flying at 1,000 feet agl, he noticed other balloons at lower altitudes traveling at higher ground speeds. The pilot descended to 200 to 300 feet agl and estimated the wind at that altitude to be in excess of 30 knots. After flying at this altitude for about 10 minutes, the pilot decided to land in an open field. During the high wind landing, one of the two passengers sustained a serious injury. The pilot said that about 15 minutes after the landing, the winds were again calm.
Factual narrative
On July 5, 1996, approximately 0730 mountain daylight time, a Raven S55A balloon, N4273Y, received no damage during a high wind landing near Gunnison, Colorado. The pilot and one passenger were not injured, but another passenger did receive a serious injury. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at Gunnison, Colorado, on July 5, 1996, approximately 0700.
According to the pilot, the wind was calm when the balloon took off. After 15 minutes of flying at 1,000 feet agl (above ground level), the pilot noticed other balloons at lower altitudes traveling at higher ground speeds. The pilot descended to 200 to 300 feet agl and estimated the wind at that altitude to be in excess of 30 knots. After flying at this altitude for 10 minutes, the pilot decided to land and chose an open field. During the high wind landing that ensued, one of the two passengers aboard sustained a serious injury. The pilot said that 15 minutes after the landing, the winds were again calm.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4273Y
- Reported as
- Raven S55A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- S55A-982
- Airframe hours
- 461
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Carolyn Coker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 2, 1996 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Flight hours
- 150 total · 127 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GUC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.