- Date
- October 17, 2024, 07:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wittmann, AZ · rural residential - open desert
- Injuries
- 9 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N275AZCameron Balloons US A-275
- Defining event
- Approach: Collision during takeoff/land
- 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
- FAA report
- 20241017014989A
- Case key
- 195361
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 clearance from a power line during an approach.
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 reported that, during an approach to his landing area, he observed a power line in his flight path. He attempted to stop the balloon’s descent, but the basket still collided with the power line. The balloon sustained substantial damage to a suspension cable that severed from the collision. The pilot reported that that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N275AZ
- Reported as
- Cameron Balloons US A-275
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 6926
- Built
- 2021
- Airframe hours
- 513.5
- Engine
- Na, none
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Rainbow Ryders Inc
- Registered owner
- Rainbow Ryders Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 16, 2024
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- NA
- Equipment
- 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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 6, 2024
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 5,020 total · 0 in this make and model · 49,840 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.78 inHg
- Observed at
- KGEU, 19 nm away
- METAR
- KGEU 171447Z VRB03KT 10SM FEW150 21/07 A2978
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 8, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 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.