- Date
- April 27, 1995, 08:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 6 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N738TCThunder and Colt Colt 180A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 24, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950427030899A
- Case key
- 29081
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 inability of the pilot to compensate for the wind conditions which resulted in the basket tipping over following touchdown during a high-wind landing.
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
Near the conclusion of the hour-long aerial sightseeing flight, the pilot recognized that it would be necessary to perform a high-wind landing, and the basket might tip over. The pilot reported that he informed his passengers to prepare themselves for the high-wind landing, and they all appeared to appropriately respond. Just before touchdown, the pilot ripped out the balloon top in order to conclude the flight. The pilot also stated that the basket touched down smoothly in a very large field. However, after touchdown it tipped over because the wind at ground level was blowing at 7 knots.
Factual narrative
On April 27, 1995, at 0800 mountain standard time, a Thunder & Colt, Colt 180A balloon, N738TC, tipped over during a high-wind landing near Tucson, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The balloon was not damaged. The commercial pilot and five of the six passengers were not injured. The sixth passenger was seriously injured. The fare-paying passengers boarded the balloon for the aerial sightseeing flight from near Tucson, Arizona, around 0700.
The pilot reported that he realized the basket might tip over upon landing, so he informed his passengers to prepare themselves for a high-wind landing in accordance with his previously issued directions. The ten-passenger-capacity balloon was compartmentalized, and all of the passengers appeared to respond appropriately for the landing.
Just before touchdown, the pilot ripped out the balloon top in order to conclude the flight. The pilot also stated that the basket touched down smoothly in a very large field. However, after touchdown it tipped over because the wind at ground level was blowing at 7 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N738TC
- Reported as
- Thunder and Colt Colt 180A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 2292
- Airframe hours
- 225
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- A Balloon Experience
- Registered owner
- Joe Fendler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 3, 1995 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- 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
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown
- Flight hours
- 1,734 total · 11 in this make and model · 1,690 as pilot in command · 141 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 135° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
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 N738TC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.