- Date
- October 6, 2017, 08:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor, 23 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N123UTUltramagic T210C-FCKXLindstrand LBL240A
- Defining events
- Standing: Ground collisionLanding: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 11, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 96215
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 adequate clearance from a balloon on the ground during landing.
The other pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from a balloon on the ground during landing.
Findings · 5
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.
N123UT · Ultramagic T210
Lindstrand LBL240A
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.
N123UT · Ultramagic T210
Lindstrand LBL240A
Analysis
The Ultramagic balloon pilot reported that, during a balloon festival, after a local sightseeing flight, he landed the balloon and decided to wait for the ground crew to locate the balloon before deflating. He added that, as the balloon was deflating, he "heard a basket sliding across the top of [his] balloon." The balloon rotated counter-clockwise, and the balloon basket, still loaded with passengers, rolled upside down. The Ultramagic balloon sustained substantial damage to the burner rack. One passenger sustained serious injuries. The Lindstrand balloon pilot reported that, during landing, there were two balloons in his flightpath. He added that he climbed and passed the first balloon but was unable to pass the second balloon, and "I brushed him with my basket on the top of his balloon." He landed the balloon without further incident. The Ultramagic pilot and the Lindstrand operations manager reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloons that would have precluded normal operation.
The Ultramagic balloon pilot reported that, during a balloon festival, after a local sightseeing flight, he landed the balloon and decided to wait for the ground crew to locate the balloon before deflating. He added that, as the balloon was deflating, he "heard a basket sliding across the top of [his] balloon." The balloon rotated counter-clockwise, and the balloon basket, still loaded with passengers, rolled upside down. The Ultramagic balloon sustained substantial damage to the burner rack. One passenger sustained serious injuries. The Lindstrand balloon pilot reported that, during landing, there were two balloons in his flightpath. He added that he climbed and passed the first balloon but was unable to pass the second balloon, and "I brushed him with my basket on the top of his balloon." He landed the balloon without further incident. The Ultramagic pilot and the Lindstrand operations manager reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloons that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The Ultramagic balloon pilot reported that, during a balloon festival, after a local sightseeing flight, he landed the balloon and decided to wait for the ground crew to locate the balloon before deflating. He added that, as the balloon was deflating, he "heard a basket sliding across the top of [his] balloon". The balloon rotated counter-clockwise and the balloon basket, still loaded with passengers, rolled upside down. The Ultramagic balloon sustained substantial damage to the burner rack. One passenger sustained serious injuries. The Lindstrand balloon pilot reported that, during landing, there were two balloons in his flight path. He added that he climbed and passed the first balloon, but was unable to pass the second. He reported that, "I brushed him with my basket on the top of his balloon." He landed the balloon without further incident. The Ultramagic pilot and the Lindstrand operations manager reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloons that would have precluded normal operation.
The Ultramagic balloon pilot reported that, during a balloon festival, after a local sightseeing flight, he landed the balloon and decided to wait for the ground crew to locate the balloon before deflating. He added that, as the balloon was deflating, he "heard a basket sliding across the top of [his] balloon". The balloon rotated counter-clockwise and the balloon basket, still loaded with passengers, rolled upside down. The Ultramagic balloon sustained substantial damage to the burner rack. One passenger sustained serious injuries. The Lindstrand balloon pilot reported that, during landing, there were two balloons in his flight path. He added that he climbed and passed the first balloon, but was unable to pass the second. He reported that, "I brushed him with my basket on the top of his balloon." He landed the balloon without further incident. The Ultramagic pilot and the Lindstrand operations manager reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloons that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N123UT
- Reported as
- Ultramagic T210 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 210/42
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 815.4
- Engine
- none
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Pacific Rim Adventures Inc DBA, doing business as Sky's The Limit Balloon Adventure
- Registered owner
- Pacific Rim Adventures Inc DBA
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 24, 2017
- Departed
- Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- Albuquerque, NM
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Equipment
- 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.
- Registration
- C-FCKX
- Reported as
- Lindstrand LBL240A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 165
- Built
- 1995
- Airframe hours
- 1,135.2
- Engine
- none
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Sundance Balloons (2008) Ltd, doing business as Sundance Balloons
- Registered owner
- Sundance Balloons (2008) Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 23, 2017
- Departed
- Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- Albuquerque, NM
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N123UT
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 21, 2016
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 11,028 total · 2,148 in this make and model · 10,992 as pilot in command · 105 in the last 90 days · 42 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft 2
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Foreign, Private
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 11, 2017
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 743 total · 40 in this make and model · 734 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KABQ, 9 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 5, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.6 MB in all.