Summary
On May 17, 2003, a Aerostar International S66A-3060 (N7179Z) was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, NM. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury, 1 minor injury, with 4 people uninjured out of 6 aboard.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during a high wind landing, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing factors include the high wind and the berm.
On May 17, 2003, at 0740 mountain daylight time, an Aerostar International S66A-3060 balloon, N7179Z, owned and operated by Skyspan Adventures LLC., was involved in a hard landing at The Gravel Pit, near Albuquerque, New Mexico. The pilot and three passengers were not injured; however, one passenger received serious injuries and one passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed for this local sightseeing flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from The Gravel Pit at approximately 0645.
The pilot stated that, at 100 feet above ground level, his global positioning system (GPS), indicated a ground speed of 15 mph.
This accident is documented in NTSB report DEN03LA081. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N7179Z.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during a high wind landing, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing factors include the high wind and the berm.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On May 17, 2003, at 0740 mountain daylight time, an Aerostar International S66A-3060 balloon, N7179Z, owned and operated by Skyspan Adventures LLC., was involved in a hard landing at The Gravel Pit, near Albuquerque, New Mexico. The pilot and three passengers were not injured; however, one passenger received serious injuries and one passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed for this local sightseeing flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from The Gravel Pit at approximately 0645.
The pilot stated that, at 100 feet above ground level, his global positioning system (GPS), indicated a ground speed of 15 mph. As he was getting ready to land, he noticed that the GPS was indicating a ground speed of 18 mph. He briefed his passengers and prepared them for a "high wind" landing. As the balloon hit the ground, the GPS was indicating a ground speed of 12 mph. He pulled the deflation vent and the balloon's envelope began to collapse. The balloon slid a few feet and the basket struck a 2 foot high berm. The basket tipped over and the balloon slid another 70 feet. The balloon was not damaged; however, during the impact, one passenger injured her knee and a second passenger suffered a broken ankle.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# DEN03LA081