# NTSB FTW98LA064: Adams A55S, N1063V, Gallup, NM, December 6, 1997 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 6, 1997, 09:25 local (16:25 UTC) - Place: Gallup, NM - Coordinates: 35.519149, -108.73072 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.5191&lon=-108.7307&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Emergency descent](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/600) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal, 1 uninjured; on the ground: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report June 26, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 20495 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW98LA064 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/20495/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=20495 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA064 ## Probable cause failure of the ground crewman to follow proper procedures. A factor relating to the accident was: the passenger failed to follow the pilot's verbal instructions. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Miscellaneous/other, descent - emergency - instructions,written/verbal - not followed, passenger (contributing factor) - procedures/directives - not followed, ground personnel (cause) ## Analysis The pilot landed his hot air balloon several times to allow passengers to disembark and other passengers to board. On the last landing, he vented heat from the envelope to insure loss of buoyancy, then instructed one of the passengers to step out but to keep his weight on the basket. The passenger complied. The second passenger exited before the pilot could give similar instructions, and the balloon began to ascend. Unable to hold the balloon down, ground personnel released their weight from the basket. The pilot immediately pulled the vent line, but the balloon continued to ascend at a 'moderate rate.' The pilot then noticed a shadow hanging from the balloon and saw one of his ground crew members holding on to one of the rope handles, located along the bottom edge of the basket. The balloon was 15 to 20 feet in the air and continuing to ascend. The pilot continued to vent the envelope. The balloon reached a maximum altitude of 75 to 80 feet before it began to descend. When it was approximately 40 feet above the ground, the ground crew member said she couldn't hold on anymore. She fell to the ground, sustaining fatal injuries. ## Factual narrative On December 6, 1997, approximately 0925 mountain standard time, a member of the ground crew was fatally injured when she fell from an Adams A55S hot air balloon, N1063V, at Gallup, New Mexico. The balloon 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 Gallup approximately 0805. The following is based on the pilot's written statement that was included with his accident report, and subsequent telephone conversations. His balloon, Angel Dancer, was one of numerous hot air balloons participating in the Red Rocks Balloon Rally. The pilot attended a briefing at 0700, and the balloon was launched at 0805. He landed several times to allow passengers to disembark and other passengers to board. Although the wind remained calm, the pilot was concerned that the sun warming the red cliffs would cause increased air current movement. He decided to attach a drop (or tether) line for ground personnel to use to keep the balloon in the immediate area. On the last landing, the pilot vented heat from the envelope to insure loss of buoyancy, then instructed one of the passengers to step out but to keep his weight on the basket. The passenger complied. The second passenger exited before the pilot could give similar instructions, and the balloon began to ascend. Unable to hold the balloon down, the ground crew released their weight from the basket as the pilot had instructed them to do in safety briefings. The pilot immediately pulled the vent line, but the balloon continued to ascend at a "moderate rate." The pilot then noticed a shadow hanging from the balloon. Looking down, he saw one of his ground crew members holding on to one of the rope handles, located along the bottom edge of the basket. The balloon was 15 to 20 feet in the air and continued to ascend. The pilot continued to vent the envelope. Other members of the ground crew held onto the tether line. The balloon reached a maximum altitude of 75 to 80 feet before it began to descend. When it was approximately 40 feet above the ground, the crew member said she couldn't hold on anymore and fell to the ground. In another written statement, the pilot's wife (a member of the ground crew) said the fatally injured party had been a member of the ground crew for about two years. She had attended safety meetings conducted by the pilot and "knew his drill about hands on and hands off," and "not to hold the balloon by those rope handles." Two other members of the ground crew submitted corroborating written statements. The pilot said 10 or 12 people comprised his ground team. A home video of the accident appeared on Albuquerque's KOAT-TV evening news. The television station refused to provide NTSB a copy of the tape. A subpoena was served and the tape was released. A review of the tape revealed the camera was some distance from the balloon and details were difficult to discern. The tape did not provide any insight into the accident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1063V](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1063V), registered now, S/N 099, built 1982 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Adams A55S - Registry model: [Adams Balloon A55S](https://openairdocs.org/model/adams-balloon-a55s) (registry code 0050105) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Balloon - Serial number: 099 - Airframe hours: 51 - Engines: unknown - Damage: No damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Robert A. Woodall - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, January 8, 1997, 28 hours before - Departed: NONE ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 49; commercial; flight hours: 317 total, 317 in this make and model, 297 as pilot in command, 13 in the last 90 days, 3 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 10 °F, dew point 9 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: GUP, 1 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19971206037379A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971206037379A), Dec 6, 1997: Adams A55S, Gallup, NM, 1 fatal. Passengers debarked. Balloon rose. One ground crew carried to 40FT AGL then fell 40FT to ground. (-23) on 12/06/97, approximately 0925 mountain standard time,… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 27, 1998, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=20495. 684 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 390 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40448642&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Supplement S (item 2, .PDF, 49 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40081008&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Supplement%20S-Master.PDF - Pilot's Statement (Item 1) (item 3, .PDF, 65 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40448643&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%27s%20Statement%20(Item%201)-Master.PDF - Crew Statements (item 4, .PDF, 179 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40448644&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Crew%20Statements-Master.PDF 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.