# NTSB FTW97LA022: Thunder and Colt 90, Albuquerque, NM, October 6, 1996

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: October 6, 1996, 08:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place: Albuquerque, NM
- Coordinates: 35.179622, -106.590003 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1796&lon=-106.5900&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Standing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/150) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report October 14, 1997
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 20098
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW97LA022
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/20098/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA022

## Probable cause

The passenger's failure to follow instructions for disembarking.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Miscellaneous/other, standing
  - proper assistance - not followed, passenger (cause)

## Analysis

The balloon landed and two passengers attempted to disembark while two other passengers waited to board.  One passenger, assisted by her husband, was in the process of exiting the basket and he stepped on her foot, breaking her ankle.

## Factual narrative

On October 6, 1996, approximately 0845 mountain daylight time, a passenger aboard a Colt 90, G-JNNB, sustained a serious injury while exiting the hot air balloon at Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The commercial pilot and another passenger were not injured and the aircraft was not damaged.  Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91.  The flight originated in Albuquerque on October 6, approximately 0800.

On October 23, 1996 the pilot was sent NTSB Form 6120.1/2, Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report.  The pilot returned a blank accident report on December 4, 1996, stating he had previously mailed a completed report to NTSB's South Central Regional Office.  Attempts to locate this report failed and another report was sent to the pilot on January 7, 1997.  The report was received on February 18, 1997.

The following is based on the pilot's report and corroborated by an FAA inspector who monitored the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.  The pilot and two passengers departed at 0700 and flew at an average height of 1,000 feet agl on a southerly track.  After a 45 to 50 minute flight, they made an uneventful landing.  The two passengers attempted to disembark while two other passengers waited to board for a second flight.  A passenger, assisted by her husband, was in the process of exiting the basket and he stepped on her foot, breaking her ankle.

## Aircraft

- Registration: GJNNB (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: Thunder and Colt 90
- Category: Balloon
- Engines: unknown
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Operator: Nicholas A.P. Godfrey
- Registered owner: Justerini & Brooks
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; commercial; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; flight hours: 1,230 total, 98 in this make and model, 1,225 as pilot in command, 35 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Visibility: 70 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 54 °F

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.