- Date
- October 8, 1996, 09:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3581DAerostar RX 8
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 23, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19961008044049A
- Case key
- 20099
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
A sudden increase in wind velocity.
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 said that while aloft, surface winds increased to 15 knots, and he briefed his passengers on high wind landing procedures. The balloon touched down and the basket tipped over. One passenger fell against another passenger and fractured his leg.
Factual narrative
On October 8, 1996, approximately 0930 mountain daylight time, an Aerostar International RX 8, N3581D, was not damaged during landing at Albuquerque, New Mexico. One passenger sustained a serious injury, but the commercial pilot and another passenger were not injured. 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 Albuquerque on October 8, approximately 0900.
On January 7, 1997, the pilot was contacted by telephone. He stated he had sent a completed accident report to FAA's Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) in Albuquerque. A FSDO spokesman said they had never received a report from the pilot. Another accident report was sent to the pilot. The report was received on February 3, 1997.
According to the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (attached), a passenger braced her foot against a propane tank in preparation for landing. Upon landing, the passenger sustained a fractured bone just above the ankle.
The pilot had previously told an FAA inspector (who had been monitoring the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta) that while aloft, surface winds had increased to 15 knots and he briefed his passengers on high wind landing procedures. When the balloon touched down, the basket tipped over and a passenger fell against another passenger, fracturing his leg.
The pilot did not include the names of his passengers in his accident report. According to the FAA, however, the pilot and two passengers were aboard the balloon at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3581D
- Reported as
- Aerostar RX 8
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- RX8-3023
- Airframe hours
- 508
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Glenn M. See
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 1996 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Corales, 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
- 53
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Flight hours
- 695 total · 450 in this make and model · 22 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °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 N3581D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.