- Date
- November 28, 2020, 17:00 local (Nov 29, 2020, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- St. George, UT
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Other
- Aircraft
- N9051YAerostar International RX 8
- Defining event
- Other: Ground handling event
- 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
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20201128021579A
- Case key
- 102910
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 failure to maintain control of the balloon and a member of the ground crews entanglement with a tether rope, which resulted in a serious injury when they fell to the ground after the balloon unexpectedly ascended.
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 of the balloon reported that, after landing and while the ground crew were in the process of securing the balloon, the driver of the chase truck attempted to help secure the balloon by grabbing a rope tethered to the balloon. While placing the rope in the rope’s storage bag, the balloon unexpectedly ascended, and the driver’s glove became entangled between the rope and bag. The balloon ascended about 20 ft in the air, and while the pilot was pulling the red line to top the ascent, the driver’s glove released from the rope and bag. The driver fell to the ground sustaining a serious injury. The pilot subsequently landed the balloon without further incident or damage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9051Y
- Reported as
- Aerostar International RX 8
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- RX8-3156
- Built
- 1992
- Airframe hours
- 686.58
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Scott J. Gneiting
- Registered owner
- Scott J. Gneiting
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 19, 2020
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- N/A
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Handheld GPS
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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- November 20, 2020
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 100.36 total · 100.36 in this make and model · 66.41 as pilot in command · 39.11 in the last 90 days · 13.46 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 51 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 27.22 inHg
- Observed at
- KSGU
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 17.7 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.