Summary
On April 22, 2006, a Aerostar International RX 8 (N7142S) was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, NM. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury, with 2 people uninjured out of 3 aboard.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's inability to maintain a proper descent rate due to the high winds, resulting in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the high wind conditions.
According to the pilot and passengers, the flight was uneventful. The pilot stated that he elected to perform a "high wind landing." The basket tipped over during the landing and the passenger stated that she lost her balance, resulting in serious injury to her ankle. There was no damage to the balloon and no further injuries reported by the pilot or the other passenger. The pilot reported the winds as 010 degrees at 7 knots. The pilot reported no anomalies with the balloon's systems.
This accident is documented in NTSB report DEN06CA069. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N7142S.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the pilot's inability to maintain a proper descent rate due to the high winds, resulting in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the high wind conditions.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
According to the pilot and passengers, the flight was uneventful. The pilot stated that he elected to perform a "high wind landing." The basket tipped over during the landing and the passenger stated that she lost her balance, resulting in serious injury to her ankle. There was no damage to the balloon and no further injuries reported by the pilot or the other passenger. The pilot reported the winds as 010 degrees at 7 knots. The pilot reported no anomalies with the balloon's systems.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# DEN06CA069