# NTSB WPR11LA017: Lindstrand Balloons 90A, N807PW, Cottonwood, AZ, October 16, 2010 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 16, 2010, 07:37 local (14:37 UTC) - Place: Cottonwood, AZ - Coordinates: 34.731109, -112.028335 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.7311&lon=-112.0283&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Midair collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/250) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 3 serious, 1 minor - Status: Completed, report May 26, 2011 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 77599 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR11LA017 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/77599/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=77599 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11LA017 ## Probable cause The paraglider pilot's failure to see and avoid the hot air balloon, which resulted in a midair collision. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Attention/monitoring: monitoring other aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021540): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot of other aircraft (probable cause); cases with it: [Lindstrand Balloons 90A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021540/cases.md?model=5180005), [All aircraft, 231 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021540/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022040): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Response/compensation (probable cause); cases with it: [Lindstrand Balloons 90A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022040/cases.md?model=5180005), [All aircraft, 116 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022040/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Midair collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/250) (defining event); cases with it: [Lindstrand Balloons 90A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/250/sequence.md?model=5180005), [All aircraft, 196 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/250/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot of a hot air balloon reported that he was on a local area flight during an airport appreciation day at the departure airport. During the flight, he saw a powered paraglider maneuver close to the envelope of his hot air balloon. The paraglider subsequently collided with the envelope of the hot air balloon. The pilot of the unregistered paraglider reported that he was focused on taking photographs of another hot air balloon at the time and was not aware that he had maneuvered so close to the accident hot air balloon. The paraglider pilot attempted an evasive maneuver to avoid the hot air balloon; however, the paraglider flew into the side of the envelope, penetrating it. As the balloon and paraglider descended, they remained attached until ground impact. ## Factual narrative On October 16, 2010, at 0737 mountain standard time, N807PW, a Lindstrand 90A balloon, sustained substantial damage following a midair collision with a single-seat unregistered powered paraglider near Cottonwood Airport, Cottonwood, Arizona. The pilot was operating the hot air balloon under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The balloon pilot sustained minor injuries and his two passengers sustained serious injuries. The pilot of the paraglider sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. Both aircraft departed from Cottonwood Airport. According to the balloon pilot, he was on a local area flight during Airport Appreciation Day. There were multiple hot air balloons flying in the area at the time. He saw the paraglider pilot maneuvering close to the balloon envelope. The balloon pilot waived his arms and shouted at the paraglider pilot that he was too close; however, the paraglider approached the balloon and descended. The paraglider flew into the side of the envelope, penetrating it. As the balloon and paraglider descended, they remained attached; the balloon pilot tried to decrease the rate of descent as much as possible. During the descent, the balloon pilot provided an emergency briefing to his passengers, and directed one of the passengers to transmit a distress call. At 100 feet, the pilot turned off the pilot lights and closed the fuel tank valves. The basket then impacted the top of a fence and came to rest in an asphalt parking lot. Following the accident, the paraglider pilot told the balloon pilot that he was taking photographs. According to the Cottonwood Police Department report, the paraglider pilot was interviewed at a medical center by a deputy. The paraglider pilot reported that he and his son had departed from cottonwood in their respective paragliders. The pilot was going to take pictures of a friend who was in one of the hot air balloons flying in the area. As he approached the hot air balloon that his friend was in, he noted another hot air balloon below him about 200 to 300 feet; this other balloon was the one that he eventually collided with. He took a picture of his friend, and saw the accident hot air balloon was 30 feet below and 50 feet in front of him. The paraglider pilot attempted to perform an evasive maneuver, but the paraglider impacted the envelope of the balloon. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N807PW](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N807PW), registered now, S/N 5381, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: LINDSTRAND BALLOONS 90A - Registry model: [Lindstrand Balloons 90A](https://openairdocs.org/model/lindstrand-balloons-90a) (registry code 5180005) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Balloon - Serial number: 5381 - Airframe hours: 92 - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Eric Wadleigh - Registered owner: Eric Wadleigh - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, September 23, 2010 - Departed: P52, Cottonwood, AZ - Destination: P52, Cottonwood, AZ ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 57; injuries: minor; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; flight hours: 344 total, 4 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 40° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 59 °F, dew point 36 °F - Altimeter: 30.20 inHg - Observed at: SEZ, 14 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20101016048672A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20101016048672A), Oct 16, 2010: Lindstrand 90A, Cottonwood, AZ, Substantial damage. On October 16, 2010, at approximately 0745 MST, a paraglider collided with a hot air balloon that was in level flight at approximately 1600 feet AGL. The… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 24, 2011, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=77599. 975 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 528 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40343399&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Police Report Excerpt Summary (item 2, .PDF, 50 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40344942&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Police%20Report%20Excerpt%20Summary-Master.PDF - Accident Report Photographs (5 embedded photos) (item 3, .PDF, 397 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40344795&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Accident%20Report%20Photographs%20(5%20embedded%20photos)-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.