- Date
- November 24, 2025, 08:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor, 7 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N980VACameron Balloons US A-225
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 5, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA - ABQ FSDO
- FAA report
- 20251124020709A
- Case key
- 202082
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 balloon landing in increased wind, and the pilot’s inability to maintain the proper descent rate, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 4
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 hot air balloon pilot reported that he performed a safety briefing with all eight passengers before they boarded the balloon. During the flight the winds, which were forecasted to be about 3 knots at the time of landing, increased to 14 kts, gusting to 19 kts. The pilot determined that the planned landing area did not provide sufficient room for a safe landing due to the increase in wind speed and elected to divert to a more open area. The balloon crossed over a valley and encountered a downdraft, which the pilot said he unsuccessfully attempted to overcome using the gas burners. He activated the rapid-deflation system to help prevent dragging; the balloon touched down hard and was dragged by the wind as it deflated. The balloon landed hard at about 23 kts, which resulted in a serious injury to one of the passengers. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions with the balloon that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N980VA
- Reported as
- Cameron Balloons US A-225
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 6968
- Built
- 2022
- Airframe hours
- 397.6
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Rainbow Ryders Inc
- Registered owner
- Rainbow Ryders Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 23, 2025
- Departed
- Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- Albuquerque, NM
- Airport
- ABQ · Albuquerque International Sunport
- 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
- 48
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 13, 2025
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 1,073.3 total · 86 in this make and model · 1,073.3 as pilot in command · 53.3 in the last 90 days · 10.2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KABQ, 2 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KABQ 241452Z 16004KT 10SM SCT042 SCT150 06/03 A3013 RMK AO2 SLP185 MTNS OBSC NE-SE T00610028 53013 $=
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 5, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.
Other investigations on N980VA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.