# NTSB LAX97LA124: Aerostar RX7, N71150, Tucson, AZ, March 16, 1997

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: March 16, 1997, 07:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place: Tucson, AZ
- Coordinates: 32.090328, -111.080497 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.0903&lon=-111.0805&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report May 21, 1998
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 29743
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX97LA124
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/29743/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97LA124

## Probable cause

failure of the pilot to maintain safe altitude/clearance from another balloon, while landing in a crowded area.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- On ground/water collision with object, landing - flare/touchdown
  - airport facilities,runway/landing area condition - congested/confined area (contributing factor)
  - object - aircraft parked/standing
  - altitude/clearance - not maintained, pilot in command (cause)

## Analysis

According to the other balloon pilots, who witnessed the accident, the pilot was landing in a crowded area and made what appeared to be a normal landing. The balloon bounced, and then collided with an unoccupied and standing balloon. No adverse weather conditions were noted by the witnesses.

## Factual narrative

On March 16, 1997, at 0745 hours mountain standard time, an Aerostar RX7 balloon, N71150, participating in a hot air balloon rally, collided with another balloon during landing in Tucson, Arizona.  The balloon was substantially damaged.  The pilot/owner was seriously injured, one passenger had minor injuries, and the other passenger was not injured.  Visual meterological conditions existed for the local hot air balloon rally that originated at 0730.

According to the pilot, participants in the hot air balloon rally received full weather briefings for Ryan Field Airport, Davis-Montham AFB, and the Ina Road Heliport, all in Tucson, before the rally began.  In a telephone interview, the pilot reported the winds were forecasted at 7 knots until 1200.  He stated that he had flown both Friday and Saturday and the weather conditions were good, and that Sunday seemed like the weather would be more of the same.  He realized that the wind was in fact gusting to 20 knots, and made the decision to land.  The balloon came in too fast and low and hit hard.  On landing the pilot's leg went through the gondola.  During the touchdown sequence, the gondola twisted, lifted off at an angle, caught the edge of another balloon already on the ground, ripping holes in the other balloon's envelope.  No one else on the ground was injured.  The pilot and passengers of the other balloon were not in the balloon during the accident sequence.

According to the other pilots who witnessed the accident, the pilot was landing in a crowded area and made what appeared to be a normal landing, bounced, and then collided with the other balloon.  No adverse weather conditions were noted by the witness.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N71150](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N71150), registered now, S/N RX7-3309, built 1995 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Aerostar RX7
- Registry model: [Aerostar International RX-7](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerostar-international-rx-7) (registry code 7487007) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Balloon
- Serial number: 3309
- Airframe hours: 96
- Engines: unknown
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Ronald E. Aros
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, May 16, 1996, 47 hours before
- Departed: AZ

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 48; private; medical: unknown, unknown; flight hours: 100 total

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 61 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: TUS

## 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 19970316003259A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970316003259A), Mar 16, 1997: Raven RX7, Tucson, AZ, Substantial damage. Landed in crowded area. Bounced caught edge of parked unmanned balloon ripping its envel open.

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.