- Date
- February 13, 2016, 08:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Petaluma, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3647AAerostar International RX8
- Defining event
- Landing: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 16, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA Oakland FSDO
- FAA report
- 20160213004709I
- Case key
- 92716
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 inadequate compensation for wind during the landing approach, which resulted in the balloon’s basket impacting a metal fence and a passenger sustaining serious injuries.
Findings · 4
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 commercial pilot was making an approach to a field for landing at the end of the sightseeing flight. During the approach, he misjudged the wind, which pushed the balloon near a metal fence and resulted in the balloon's basket striking the fence. The pilot then landed the balloon safely on an adjacent road. The balloon sustained minor damage, and a child passenger, who was sitting down in the basket, sustained serious injuries.
Factual narrative
On February 13, 2016, about 0830 Pacific standard time, an Aerostar International Inc. RX-8 hot air balloon, N3647A, impacted a fence during an approach to a field in Petaluma, California. The balloon was owned and operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules, revenue sightseeing flight under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 when the accident occurred. The pilot and two passengers were not injured, and one child passenger sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. In a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the pilot stated that he was making an approach to a field for landing at the end of the sightseeing flight. During the approach, he misjudged the wind, and the balloon was blown near a pipe fence, striking the fence with the basket. A child passenger, who was sitting down in the basket, sustained serious injuries during the event. After striking the fence, the balloon landed safely on an adjacent road. The balloon sustained minor damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3647A
- Reported as
- Aerostar International RX8
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- E8-3064
- Built
- 1990
- Airframe hours
- 634
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Sowers William H
- Registered owner
- Sowers William H
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 8, 2015
- Departed
- Petaluma, CA
- Destination
- Petaluma, CA
- Equipment
- None
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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- April 30, 2015
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 1,768 total · 1,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- KSTS, 15 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 18, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 578 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.