- Date
- September 6, 2011, 09:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Park City, UT
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7154EAerostar International S-60A
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 13, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110906018729A
- Case key
- 81719
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the balloon during the landing on uneven ground.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
According to the pilot, during the landing approach, she noted that the wind had changed direction and increased to about 5 knots. The pilot identified a suitable place to land, and, after clearing power lines, she made a steep approach. The balloon touched down on uneven ground and the basket tipped. The pilot was venting the balloon at the time and when the basket touched down, the vent line pulled her partially out of the basket. The basket dragged across the ground a few feet before becoming airborne again, and the pilot continued to hang onto the vent line. The two passengers then jumped out of the basket and the vent line was ripped out of the pilot’s hands. The balloon continued flight, unoccupied, and landed approximately 1/2 mile from the intended landing location. During the accident sequence, the balloon was torn and the skirt was burnt.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after an uneventful sight-seeing balloon flight with two passengers, she initiated a landing when it was noted that the wind had changed direction and picked up speed to about 5 knots. A suitable place to land was identified, and after clearing power lines, a steep approach to land was made. The balloon touched down on uneven ground and the basket tipped. The pilot was venting at the time and when the basket touched down, the vent line pulled her partially out of the basket. The basket drug across the ground a few feet before becoming airborne again as the pilot continued to hang onto the vent line. The two passengers then jumped out of the basket and the vent line was ripped out of the pilot’s hands. The balloon continued flight and landed approximately ½ mile from the intended landing location. During the accident sequence the balloon was torn and the skirt was burnt.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7154E
- Reported as
- Aerostar International S-60A
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- S60A-3210
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Park City, UT
- Destination
- Park City, UT
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- 33
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Flight hours
- 215 total · 215 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 28, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 441 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.
Other investigations on N7154E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.