- Date
- September 18, 2020, 09:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Peoria, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 18 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N500UMUltramagic N500
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- FAA report
- 20200918020289A
- Case key
- 102418
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 balloon's encounter with unexpected windshear, which resulted in a hard landing and serious passenger injuries.
Findings · 2
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 stated that he departed from a vacant desert location with the wind from east at about 6 to 8 knots. The balloon ascended to about 1,000 ft above ground level (agl) as he maneuvered. Upon the descent to the intended landing location, about 200 ft agl, the balloon encountered a wind shift from the north. The pilot stated that this amounted to a low-level wind shear that accelerated the descent rate and resulted in an abnormally hard landing. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the balloon and that the hard landing was a result of non-forecasted/unexpected wind shear. As a result of the impact, two passenger suffered serious injuries.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N500UM
- Reported as
- Ultramagic N500
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 500/18
- Built
- 2018
- Airframe hours
- 94
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Randy Long Companies LLC, doing business as Arizona Balloon Safaris
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 24, 2020
- Departed
- Phoenix, AZ
- Destination
- Same as departure
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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Sport Pilot
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2020
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 3,499 total · 174 in this make and model · 2,881 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.99 inHg
- Observed at
- KDVT, 10 nm away
- METAR
- KDVT 180753Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 06/M03 A2995 RMK AO2 SLP134 T00561033
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 MB 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 N500UM · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.