# NTSB GAA18CA016: Ultramagic T210, N123UT, Albuquerque, NM, October 6, 2017

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report
- Date: October 6, 2017, 08:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place: Albuquerque, NM
- Coordinates: 35.198055, -106.596389 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1981&lon=-106.5964&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Standing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/150) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining events: [Standing: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200); [Landing: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor, 23 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report January 11, 2018
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: General Aviation Accidents
- Parties: FAA
- NTSB case key (mKey): 96215
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=GAA18CA016
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/96215/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96215
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA016

## Probable cause (aircraft 2)

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from a balloon on the ground during landing.

## Probable cause (aircraft 1)

The other pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from a balloon on the ground during landing.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Object/animal/substance: aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022040): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on operation (probable cause), aircraft 1; cases with it: [Ultramagic T210, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022040/cases.md?model=9230012), [All aircraft, 116 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022040/cases.md)
- [Attention/monitoring: monitoring other aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021540): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot of other aircraft (probable cause), aircraft 1; cases with it: [Ultramagic T210, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021540/cases.md?model=9230012), [All aircraft, 231 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021540/cases.md)
- [Attention/monitoring: monitoring other aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021540): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot (probable cause), aircraft 2; cases with it: [All aircraft, 231 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021540/cases.md)
- [Object/animal/substance: aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022040): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on operation (probable cause), aircraft 2; cases with it: [All aircraft, 116 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022040/cases.md)
- [Performance/control parameters: altitude](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause), aircraft 2; cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,310 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Standing: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200) (defining event), aircraft 1; cases with it: [Ultramagic T210, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md?model=9230012), [All aircraft, 618 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md)
- [Landing: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490) (defining event), aircraft 2; cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,309 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md)

## Analysis (aircraft 2)

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.

## Analysis (aircraft 1)

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 (aircraft 2)

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.

## Factual narrative (aircraft 1)

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 1

- Registration: [N123UT](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N123UT), registered now, S/N 210/42, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ULTRAMAGIC SA T210 (NO SERIES)
- Registry model: [Ultramagic T210](https://openairdocs.org/model/ultramagic-t210) (registry code 9230012) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Balloon
- Serial number: 210/42
- Year built: 2007
- Airframe hours: 815.4
- Engines: 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

## Aircraft 2

- Registration: C-FCKX (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: LINDSTRAND LBL240A
- Category: Balloon
- Serial number: 165
- Year built: 1995
- Airframe hours: 1135.2
- Engines: 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

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot, aircraft N123UT; age 62; injuries: minor; 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
- Pilot, aircraft 2; age 28; injuries: none; 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 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 5, 2017, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96215. 7.6 MB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1_N123UT (item 1, .PDF, 4.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40458600&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1_N123UT-Master.PDF
- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1_C-FCKX (item 2, .PDF, 3.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40458601&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1_C-FCKX-Master.PDF
- Accident Photo (item 3, .PDF, 301 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40458603&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Accident%20Photo-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.

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