- Date
- October 3, 2023, 07:05 local (14:05 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ · Desert terrain
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 5 minor, 7 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N27MUUltramagic N-300
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 193195
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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 3
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 descending for a landing with a 5 kt wind from the west, about 20 ft above ground level, the balloon’s groundspeed increased to 12-13 kts. The pilot ascended the balloon due to power lines and when cleared, began the approach to landing in a small field. The pilot verified all passengers were in position for the landing and flared utilizing all 3 burners. Subsequently, the balloon impacted cholla covered desert terrain, bounced, and came to rest on its side about 140 ft from the initial landing area. Two passengers sustaining serious injury.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N27MU
- Reported as
- Ultramagic N-300
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 300/109
- Built
- 2023
- Airframe hours
- 75.34
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Mars Leasing
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 18, 2023
- 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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 23, 2023
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KDVT, 7 nm away
- METAR
- KDVT 031353Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 17/06 A2993 RMK AO2 SLP118 T01670056
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 29, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 843 KB in all.