- Date
- February 15, 2015, 09:10 local (16:10 UTC)
- Place
- Bernalillo, NM
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N681SJCameron Z90 - NO Series
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 1, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA Albuquerque FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150215004019A
- Case key
- 91020
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 failure to maintain the descent rate, resulting in abnormal runway/ground contact.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot determined that the wind was faster than anticipated at the landing location. He maneuvered the balloon for a landing in an open field, the gondola landed hard, and fell onto its side. One passenger sustained a broken leg and the balloon sustained no damage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon prior to the flight that would have precluded normal operation of the balloon.
Factual narrative
The pilot determined that the wind was faster than anticipated at the landing location. He maneuvered the balloon for a landing in an open field, the gondola landed hard, and fell onto its side. One passenger sustained a broken leg and the balloon sustained no damage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon prior to the flight that would have precluded normal operation of the balloon.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N681SJ
- Reported as
- Cameron Z90 - NO Series (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 6710
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 49
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Coffing Stephen
- Registered owner
- Coffing Stephen
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 3, 2014
- Departed
- Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- Albuquerque, 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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- March 30, 2014
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 645 total · 77 in this make and model · 645 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KABQ, 17 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 21, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 911 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.