- Date
- May 22, 2006, 20:00 local (May 23, 2006, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Montvale, VA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 4 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1072SCameron Balloons Z-120
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Richmond, VA
- FAA report
- 20060522009969A
- Case key
- 63740
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 failure to arrest an excessive descent rate prior to ground contact, which resulted in a hard landing. A factor in the accident were the wind gusts.
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
According to the pilot, while attempting to land a hot air balloon, the winds became "gusty" at 10 to 15 knots and he initiated a "high wind landing." According to a passenger, the pilot had told him that it was supposed to "calm." The passenger estimated, however; that the wind was probably around 20 knots. He stated that during the landing the balloon "hit pretty hard" and the basket tipped over horizontally and dragged to a stop. He recalled that when the basket tipped over, another passenger stated that it "felt like something was on her feet" and he later realized that both of her ankles were broken.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, while attempting to land a hot air balloon, the winds became "gusty" at 10 to 15 knots and he initiated a "high wind landing." According to a passenger, the pilot had told him that it was supposed to "calm." The passenger estimated, however; that the wind was probably around 20 knots. He stated that during the landing the balloon "hit pretty hard" and the basket tipped over horizontally and dragged to a stop. He recalled that when the basket tipped over, another passenger stated that it "felt like something was on her feet" and he later realized that both of her ankles were broken.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1072S
- Reported as
- Cameron Balloons Z-120
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 6396
- Airframe hours
- 28.8
- Engine
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Endeavor Ballooning
- Registered owner
- Colin Graham
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2006 · 17.55 hours before
- Departed
- Fincastle, VA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2006
- Flight hours
- 559 total · 18 in this make and model · 33 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- ROA, 12 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.