- Date
- October 9, 2024, 08:05 local (14:05 UTC)
- Place
- Rio Rancho, NM · Open field
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N31010Cameron Balloons US ZL-70
- Defining event
- Landing: 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
- 20241009017679I
- Case key
- 199585
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 clearance from a tree during the landing approach due to a gusting wind shift.
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 he was descending the balloon to land in a field, with wind coming from the north at about 10 kts. When the balloon was about 30 ft above ground level, the wind shifted and started to come from the northwest with an approximate 15 kt gust. The balloon changed direction during the wind gust and the pilot attempted to correct by burning the balloon’s tow burners, however, the balloon impacted a tree. The balloon sustained minor damage to its basket and envelope, and the passenger sustained serious injuries. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31010
- Reported as
- Cameron Balloons US ZL-70
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 6967
- Built
- 2024
- Airframe hours
- 34.5
- Engine
- Na, none
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- May 30, 2024
- Departed
- Albuquerque, AZ
- Destination
- Same as departure
- 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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 30, 2024
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 1,599 total · 1,599 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- KABQ, 12 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KABQ 091352Z 33003KT 10SM FEW140 FEW250 14/M02 A3026
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 8, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.4 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.