# NTSB LAX93LA279: Raven S-60A, N35GS, Coloma, CA, July 5, 1993 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 5, 1993, 09:15 local (16:15 UTC) - Place: Coloma, CA - Location: 38.8026° N, 120.8946° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Coloma, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.8026&lon=-120.8946&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 30, 1994 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 28420 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX93LA279 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/28420/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX93LA279 ## Probable cause the passenger's injury to an ankle during the landing touchdown. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Miscellaneous/other, landing - flare/touchdown - miscellaneous (cause) ## Analysis AFTER A 40 MINUTE LOCAL FOR HIRE SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT, THE PILOT DESCENDED INTO AN OAK TREE STUDDED FIELD FOR LANDING. THE PILOT NOTED THAT HE HAD USED THIS FIELD FOR LANDINGS ON 12 TO 15 OCCASIONS. DURING THE APPROACH, THE BASKET GRAZED A TREE TOP. THE PILOT SAID THE TREE CONTACT SLOWED THE BALLOON'S PROGRESS SLIGHTLY, BUT DID 'NOT DEFLECT THE BALLOON FROM ITS FLIGHT PATH.' THE BALLOON BASKET MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND ABOUT 30 FEET BEYOND THE TREE IN WHAT THE PILOT DESCRIBED AS A 'STAND-UP LANDING, WITH LITTLE OR NO DRAG ACROSS THE GROUND.' THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE INJURED PASSENGER'S ANKLE 'WENT OUT FROM UNDER HER AND TWISTED, BREAKING THE ANKLE IN THREE PLACES.' ## Factual narrative On July 5, 1993, at 0915 Pacific daylight time, a passenger on board a Raven S60A balloon, N35GS, sustained a broken ankle during a landing near Coloma, California. The balloon was owned and operated by the pilot, and was engaged in for-hire sight seeing flight operations. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the operation. The balloon was not damaged. One passenger sustained serious injuries; however, neither the certificated commercial balloon pilot nor the one remaining passenger were injured. The flight originated from a field near Coloma, California, on the day of the mishap at 0730 as a local area sight seeing flight. According to the pilot's statement, after a 40 minute flight he descended into an oak tree studded field for landing. The pilot noted that he had used this field for landings on 12 to 15 occasions. During the approach, the basket grazed a tree top. The pilot said the tree contact slowed the balloon's progress slightly, but did "not deflect the balloon from it's flight path." The balloon basket made contact with the ground about 30 feet beyond the tree in what the pilot described as a "stand-up landing, with little or no drag across the ground." The pilot reported that the injured passenger's ankle "went out from under her and twisted, breaking the ankle in three places." An FAA inspector from the Sacramento, California, Flight Standards District Office, interviewed the pilot. The inspector stated that the pilot told him that he intentionally contacts the tree tops to slow the balloon down prior to touchdown. The injured passenger told the FAA inspector that the pilot told her that he was low on fuel and made only one burn correction during the final descent. In the interview, the pilot denied the passenger's allegations. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N35GS](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N35GS-2018-01-18), registration cancelled 2018-01-18, S/N S60A-226 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: RAVEN S-60A - Registry model: [Raven S-60A](https://openairdocs.org/model/raven-s-60a) (registry code 7480606) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Balloon - Serial number: S60A-226 - Airframe hours: 640 - Engines: unknown - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 91 - Registered owner: Alan V. Ehrgott - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, July 30, 1993, 96 hours before - Departed: NONE - Destination: NONE ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 41; commercial; flight hours: 1,144 total, 34 in the last 90 days, 18 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 90° at 7 knots - Visibility: 30 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19930705022549A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930705022549A), Jul 5, 1993: Raven S60A, Coloma, CA. A passenger broke an ankle on landing. Balloon dragged tree tops on approach. One burn only. Reported low on fuel. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.