- Date
- October 8, 2018, 09:59 local (15:59 UTC)
- Place
- Rio Rancho, NM
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 12 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N275WBUltramagic N 250
- Defining event
- Landing: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20181008019969A
- Case key
- 98524
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 balloon tipping over during deflation, which resulted in a passenger injury.
Findings · 1
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 balloon pilot reported that, during touchdown, the basket made very light impact, swung around, and stopped. He added that, as the balloon deflated, the basket tipped over on its side. While assisting passengers out of the basket, a passenger told the pilot that she had a broken arm. The pilot reported that she stated to him that believed that another passenger had possibly fallen on her when the basket tipped over. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The balloon pilot reported that, during touchdown, the basket made very light impact, swung around, and stopped. He added that as the balloon deflated, the basket laid over on its side. While assisting passengers out of the basket, the female passenger told the pilot that she had broken her arm. The pilot reported that, after picking her up from the hospital, she believed that another passenger had possibly fallen on her when the basket laid over. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N275WB
- Reported as
- Ultramagic N 250 (No Series)
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 250/91
- Built
- 2017
- Airframe hours
- 279
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 21, 2018
- Departed
- N/A · Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- Rio Rancho, 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.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 9, 2017
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 2,060 total · 300 in this make and model · 2,060 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KAEG, 9 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 11, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 MB 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.
Other investigations on N275WB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.