Summary
On November 30, 2002, a Cameron Balloons O-70 (N5303Z) was involved in an accident near Montrose, CO. The accident resulted in 2 serious injuries, 1 minor injury.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The unforecasted increase in wind velocity. A contributing factor was the fence that the basket struck, subsequently spilling the occupants onto the ground.
On November 30, 2002, at approximately 0730 mountain standard time, a Cameron Balloons (U.S.) O-70 balloon, N5303Z, was not damaged during a high wind near Montrose, Colorado. The commercial pilot received minor injuries, and his two passengers received serious injuries when they fell from the basket. The aircraft was being operated by the pilot under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight that originated approximately 20 minutes before the accident.
The pilot said this was his second flight of the morning, and the wind was approximately 3 knots. He said that during the flight, the wind increased to approximately 10 knots.
This accident is documented in NTSB report DEN03LA019. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5303Z.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the unforecasted increase in wind velocity. A contributing factor was the fence that the basket struck, subsequently spilling the occupants onto the ground.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On November 30, 2002, at approximately 0730 mountain standard time, a Cameron Balloons (U.S.) O-70 balloon, N5303Z, was not damaged during a high wind near Montrose, Colorado. The commercial pilot received minor injuries, and his two passengers received serious injuries when they fell from the basket. The aircraft was being operated by the pilot under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight that originated approximately 20 minutes before the accident.
The pilot said this was his second flight of the morning, and the wind was approximately 3 knots. He said that during the flight, the wind increased to approximately 10 knots. During a landing attempt in an open field, the pilot said the basket struck a fence, subsequently spilling the occupants onto the ground. The balloon flew for an additional 8 to 10 minutes before the balloon's basket caught on a second fence. The ground crew retrieved the balloon, which incurred no damage.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# DEN03LA019