- Date
- February 23, 2002, 08:05 local (16:05 UTC)
- Place
- Moreno Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 minor, 6 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N240TCThunder and Colt Colt 120 A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 13, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20020223002999A
- Case key
- 54638
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 inadequate handling of the aircraft. High winds were a contributing factor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot intended to conduct a 30-minute flight with the nine passengers, and then land in a field where the passengers would exist and another group of passengers would board. During the landing descent, the pilot encountered high winds. The balloon struck the ground, and dragged across the ground about 70 yards before coming to a stop.
Factual narrative
On February 23, 2002, at 0805 Pacific standard time, a Thunder and Colt, Colt 120A balloon, N240TC, landed hard near Moreno Valley, California. One passenger was seriously injured; three passengers suffered minor injuries; and the commercial certificated pilot and five remaining passengers were not injured. The hot air balloon received minor damage. The local area sightseeing flight was operated by The Great American Balloon Company under 14 CFR Part 91, and departed from the Perris Valley, California, airport at 0710. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that he intended to conduct the flight for about 30 minutes, land in a field, where the passengers would disembark, and another gruop of passengers would board. During the landing descent, the pilot enountered high ground winds, and subsequently attempted to conduct a high-wind landing. The balloon struck the ground, and then dragged across the ground for about 70 yards.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N240TC
- Reported as
- Thunder and Colt Colt 120 A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- N249TC
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Eric D. Moore
- Departed
- L65 · Perris
- Destination
- Moreno Valley, CA
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
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2001
- Flight hours
- 922 total · 922 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 17 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 20, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.