# NTSB WPR20CA272: Aerostar International RX 8, N900FC, Albuquerque, NM, August 15, 2020

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report
- Date: August 15, 2020, 08:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place: Albuquerque, NM
- Coordinates: 35.159999, -106.5 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1600&lon=-106.5000&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: FAA FSDO ABQ
- NTSB case key (mKey): 101815
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR20CA272
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101815/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101815
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20CA272

## Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain the proper descent rate during the balloon’s approach to a high-wind landing, which resulted in a hard landing and serious passenger injury.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Fricke B/Cuneo P RX-8, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=056239V), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)
- [Performance/control parameters: descent rate](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Fricke B/Cuneo P RX-8, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037/cases.md?model=056239V), [All aircraft, 242 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037/cases.md)
- [Wind: high wind](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034055): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operation; cases with it: [Fricke B/Cuneo P RX-8, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034055/cases.md?model=056239V), [All aircraft, 112 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034055/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Approach: Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900); cases with it: [Fricke B/Cuneo P RX-8, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md?model=056239V), [All aircraft, 1,556 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md)
- [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Fricke B/Cuneo P RX-8, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=056239V), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot reported that for the balloon flight, the wind conditions were forecast to be light and variable at 4 knots. The wind at take0ff was from the north at 5 mph and 40 minutes later had increased to 15 mph. The pilot subsequently executed a high wind landing procedure. The balloon landed hard and was not damaged; however, the passenger, who was braced for landing, suffered a serious broken ankle injury. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N900FC](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N900FC), registered now, S/N 101-90, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Aerostar International RX 8 (No Series)
- Registry model: [Fricke B/Cuneo P RX-8](https://openairdocs.org/model/fricke-b-cuneo-p-rx-8) (registry code 056239V) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Balloon
- Serial number: 101-90
- Year built: 2007
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Operator: Ken Tuley
- Registered owner: Fricke Barbara A
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special); Standard, Balloon
- Departed: AEG, Albuquerque, NM
- Destination: AEG, Albuquerque, NM
- Airport: AEG, Double Eagle
- Equipment: None

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 66; injuries: none; private; seat: none; restraint: none; flight hours: 238 total, 224 in this make and model, 209 as pilot in command, 2.5 in the last 90 days, 0.6 in the last 30 days, 0.6 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dawn
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observed at: KAEG, 4 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 20200815009659A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200815009659A), Aug 15, 2020: Fricke B/Cuneo P RX-8, Albuquerque, NM, No damage. On 15 August 2020, at 0800 MDT, a 2007 Fricke B/Cuneo P experminental-amateur built RX-8 lighter-than-air balloon (N900FC) with airborne heater, registered to…

## Docket (2 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 26, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101815. 775 KB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 671 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11632664&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%20Accident%20Form_Redacted%20Final-Rel.pdf
- FAA inspector's statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 105 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12504522&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FSDO%20Email_Redacted-Rel.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.

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