Summary
On July 17, 2007, a Aerostar International Inc. S81A (N5069B) was involved in an accident near Custer, SD. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury, with 12 people uninjured out of 13 aboard.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The high wind during landing. Contributing to the accident was the encounter with adverse weather during the flight.
On July 17, 2007, at 0715 mountain daylight time, an Aerostar International Inc. S81A, N5069B, was being operated as a sightseeing flight when a passenger sustained serious injuries during landing near Custer, South Dakota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed on the day of the accident. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot and 11 other passengers were uninjured. The local flight originated at 0630 near Custer, South Dakota.
The pilot provided a written statement in which he states that at the time of the balloon launch, the winds were calm, but during landing the winds were "a little stronger than forecast but nothing unusual for the Hills...
This accident is documented in NTSB report CHI07LA317. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5069B.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The high wind during landing. Contributing to the accident was the encounter with adverse weather during the flight.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On July 17, 2007, at 0715 mountain daylight time, an Aerostar International Inc. S81A, N5069B, was being operated as a sightseeing flight when a passenger sustained serious injuries during landing near Custer, South Dakota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed on the day of the accident. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot and 11 other passengers were uninjured. The local flight originated at 0630 near Custer, South Dakota.
The pilot provided a written statement in which he states that at the time of the balloon launch, the winds were calm, but during landing the winds were "a little stronger than forecast but nothing unusual for the Hills... ." He stated that he briefed the passengers for a windy landing, and the balloon landed "...going to 10-12 mph." The basket then tipped over on its side and slid 20 feet across grass and a "few" rocks.
The passenger reportedly received a broken ankle during landing.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CHI07LA317