- Date
- May 9, 1999, 07:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Clarkdale, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 4 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3592ZAerostar S-60A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 18, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990509022049A
- Case key
- 46341
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 selection of unsuitable terrain during a high wind condition. Contributing factors were the high winds and the tree.
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 and four fare-paying passengers departed for a local sightseeing flight. The flight was uneventful. The passengers received safety briefings and wore helmets during the high wind landing, in an 8-knot wind. After touchdown, the pilot ripped out the balloon's top, but the basket was dragged about 10 feet before coming to rest in terrain which had vegetation over 1/2 of its surface. During the slide, a tree branch penetrated the basket through a passenger's step hole. The branch contacted a passenger's leg, which resulted in a serious injury.
Factual narrative
On May 9, 1999, about 0700 hours mountain standard time, an Aerostar International, Inc., S-60A balloon, N3592Z, operated by the Aerozona Balloon Company, Sedona, Arizona, made a high wind landing near Clarkdale, Arizona. The balloon was not damaged. The commercial pilot and three passengers were not injured; the fourth passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 aerial sightseeing passenger flight. The planned local area revenue flight commenced from Black Canyon, Arizona, about 0605.
The pilot reported that he performed a high wind landing, and all of the passengers were wearing safety helmets. The pilot stated that he ripped open the envelope's top after touchdown. The basket was dragged about 10 feet before coming to rest in terrain, which had vegetation over 1/2 of its surface. While being dragged, a branch/limb from a small tree penetrated the basket through the passenger's step hole. The branch contacted a passenger's leg, which resulted in a serious injury.
The pilot indicated that the local wind was from 140 degrees, at 8 knots. The visibility was 50 miles.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3592Z
- Reported as
- Aerostar S-60A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- S60A-3104
- Airframe hours
- 426
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- David Windwalker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 7, 1998 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- Black Canyon, AZ
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
- 52
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Flight hours
- 9,400 total · 305 in this make and model · 8,407 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PRC, 23 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.