- Date
- August 26, 1993, 08:20 local (12:20 UTC)
- Place
- Lewiston, NY
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N75192Cameron Bieu/V-65
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930826031369A
- Case key
- 38646
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 maintain adequate clearance, which resulted in an inflight collision with a light pole.
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 passenger departed in a hot air balloon, from Canada, to cross the niagara falls gorge into the united states (U.S.). After crossing into U.S. Airspace, the piloted stated that the winds became variable in direction and speed. The pilot encountered difficulty in maneuvering away from the gorge. Several landings were aborted. During the last go around, when the balloon burner was turned on to establish a climb, the balloon continued to descend. During the descent the balloon struck and broke a lamp stanchion. As the lamp post fell it broke the passenger's arm. The balloon landed hard, undamaged.
Factual narrative
On Thursday, August 26, 1993, at 0820 eastern daylight time, a Cameron Hot Air Balloon, N75192, owned and piloted by Ruth Salzberg, struck a lamp post and landed hard during a landing to a field near Lewiston, New York. The balloon was not damaged. The pilot was not injured, but the sole passenger received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A flight plan had not been filed for the flight operating under 14 CFR 91.
In the pilot/operator report, the pilot stated that this was a planned flight over the Niagara Falls Gorge, from Canada to New York State. Weather was checked on three different occasions and the balloon departed at 0720. At 0750, after crossing into United States Airspace, the pilot stated that the winds became "squirrely and variable in direction and speed."
In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2 the pilot stated:
"...Difficult to get a direction away from gorge or to set up a landing approach. Aborted several landings due to...wind changes in direction and speed...Descended to investigate possible landing site, but decided it was too close to road...turned on burner to climb...Balloon did not respond. Instead a descent was initiated...continued to burn until it became obvious turn around would not come in time to avoid hitting lamp stanchion...balloon hit lamp stanchion...which did break off at base. In falling, the lamp post broke the passengers arm when he stood up prematurely. Balloon landed hard, but was undamaged...."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N75192
- Reported as
- Cameron Bieu/V-65
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 5841
- Airframe hours
- 16
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ruth F. Salzberg
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 20, 1993 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Niagra Falls
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Flight hours
- 440 total · 256 in this make and model · 400 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IAG, 7 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.