- Date
- June 5, 2019, 06:35 local (13:35 UTC)
- Place
- Sedona, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 17 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3004SCameron A-275
- Defining event
- Landing: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190605011189A
- Case key
- 99554
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’s encounter with rough terrain, which resulted in a bounced landing and a ground crewmember sustaining serious injuries.
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 pilot reported that, as the balloon touched down, one of the ground crewmembers jumped into the basket to add his weight. As the balloon was coming to a stop, it encountered some rough terrain hidden by tall grass. The balloon bounced, and the ground crewmember was ejected from the basket and landed on the ground. The pilot added that the balloon "came up off the ground again and over the crew member." The crewmember sustained serious injuries. 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, as the balloon touched down, one of the ground crew personnel jumped into the basket to add his weight. As the balloon was coming to a stop, it encountered some rough terrain hidden by tall grass. The balloon bounced and the ground crew member was ejected from the basket and landed on the ground. The balloon "came up off the ground again and over the crew member." The crew member suffered serious injuries. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3004S
- Reported as
- Cameron A-275 (No Series)
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 6863
- Built
- 2018
- Airframe hours
- 99.9
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- P-Marks Plus Inc, doing business as Red Rock Balloons
- Registered owner
- P-Marks Plus Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 21, 2019
- Departed
- Sedona, AZ
- Destination
- Sedona, AZ
- 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
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- January 13, 2018
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 6,127 total · 845 in this make and model · 6,127 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KPRC, 27 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 18, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.