- Date
- November 11, 2009, 09:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Napa, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 12 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4062MCameron Balloons US A-250
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20091111023139A
- Case key
- 75076
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 encounter with variable winds which resulted in a hard landing and passenger injury.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the balloon reported that after three unsuccessful landing attempts during the sightseeing flight, he located a grassy 2-3 acre field and positioned the balloon for landing. He stated that the approach was from the northwest at 500-feet and the balloon was traveling about 6 knots. The pilot anticipated winds near the surface to be from the east; however, after descending to 250-feet the balloon continued in a southerly direction, near trees. The pilot executed a controlled descent over a tree and landed firmly. The basket bounced once and came to rest upright with the balloon's envelope against a tree. After the landing, one of the passengers complained of ankle pain and was transported to a hospital. A medical evaluation revealed that the passenger's ankle was fractured. The pilot reported that a passenger landing briefing was completed prior to landing.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the balloon reported that after three unsuccessful landing attempts during the sightseeing flight, he located a grassy 2-3 acre field and positioned the balloon for landing. He stated that the approach was from the northwest at 500-feet and the balloon was traveling about 6 knots. The pilot anticipated winds near the surface to be from the east, however, after descending to 250-feet the balloon continued in a southerly direction, near trees. The pilot executed a controlled descent over a tree and landed firmly. The basket bounced once and came to rest upright with the balloon's envelope against a tree. After the landing, one of the passengers complained of ankle pain and was transported to a hospital. A medical evaluation revealed that the passenger's ankle was fractured. The pilot reported that a passenger landing briefing was completed prior to landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4062M
- Reported as
- Cameron Balloons US A-250
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 6508
- Airframe hours
- 350
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Napa Valley Balloons Inc
- Registered owner
- Napa Valley Balloons Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 31, 2009
- Departed
- Yountville, CA
- Destination
- Napa, CA
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 5,465 total · 360 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 145° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 27, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 718 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.