- Date
- December 20, 2021, 08:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 15 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N317RRCameron Balloons U S A-315
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: 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
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 104429
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 inability to maintain balloon control during a high wind landing, which resulted in a serious passenger injury.
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, while maneuvering to land, he was informed via radio that the wind speed had increased during the flight from about 4 mph to about 14 mph. While on final approach to land, he descended the balloon to about 6 ft above the surface to mitigate surface wind and to level off and fly to the clearing where the balloon landed. After touchdown, the basket was drug on the ground about 20 ft until the balloon came to a complete stop and the envelope deflated. The balloon was not damaged; however, a passenger was seriously injured with a fractured ankle. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N317RR
- Reported as
- Cameron Balloons U S A-315
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 6802
- Built
- 2018
- Airframe hours
- 609.9
- Engine
- Na, none
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Rainbow Ryders Inc
- Registered owner
- Rainbow Ryders Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 7, 2021
- Departed
- Phoenix, AZ
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
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 12, 2021
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 1,487 total · 131 in this make and model · 1,430 as pilot in command · 89.8 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 1.9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- KDVT, 7 nm away
- METAR
- KDVT 201553Z 01003KT 10SM CLR 10/M02 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP222 T01001017
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 18, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 742 KB in all.