- Date
- October 7, 2019, 09:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Rio Rancho, NM
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9126KAerostar International RX 7
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20191007023419A
- Case key
- 100410
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 an adequate descent rate during landing, which resulted in a hard landing and a postaccident fire.
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 balloon pilot reported that, during an air race, she identified a landing area with dirt roads. She had a gradual descent to land, but as the balloon neared the surface, the winds were "in the 20+ mile per hour range." The balloon landed hard and bounced. She instructed the passenger to get lower in the basket, regained control, and attempted another landing. During the second landing, the pilot "pulled the red line to let the hot air out of the envelope but was dragged across the ground," and she was ejected from the basket; the passenger remained in the balloon. A crewmember on the ground instructed the passenger to pull the red line again. The balloon landed hard, the passenger was ejected, and the basket was destroyed by postaccident fire. 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 an air race, she identified a landing area with dirt roads. She had a gradual descent to land, but as the balloon neared the surface, the winds were "in the 20+ mile per hour range." The balloon landed hard and bounced. She instructed the passenger to get lower in the basket, regained control, and attempted another landing. During the second landing, she "pulled the red line to let the hot air out of the envelope but was dragged across the ground" and the pilot was ejected from the basket; the passenger remained in the balloon. A crew member on the ground instructed the passenger to pull the red line again. The balloon landed hard, the passenger was ejected, and the basket was destroyed in a postaccident fire. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added as a safety recommendation to conduct an additional preflight briefing for the passenger. The automated weather observation station, located 6 miles to the south, reported that, about 31 minutes before the accident, the wind was variable at 3 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9126K
- Reported as
- Aerostar International RX 7 (No Series)
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- RX7-3326
- Built
- 1998
- Airframe hours
- 300
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Air race/show · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 3, 2019
- Departed
- Corrales, NM
- 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
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 15, 2019
- Flight hours
- 537.4 total · 343.8 in this make and model · 377.8 as pilot in command · 3.7 in the last 90 days · 3.7 in the last 30 days · 2.2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- KAEG, 6 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 10, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 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 N9126K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.