Summary
On October 08, 2009, a Cameron Z77 (N4502V) was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, NM. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury, 1 minor injury, with 1 person uninjured out of 3 aboard. The aircraft sustained minor damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the balloon during the approach and landing.
After a morning balloon flight the pilot was making an approach to landing on a golf course. During a descent to tree top level the pilot reported the winds varied from 8 to 17 miles per hour. After descending below the tops of the trees the pilot reported a gust of 17 miles per hour with a “significant wind shift” which moved the balloon laterally toward a line of trees. Just before touchdown the pilot said she “pulled the top” to avoid hitting the trees and “we landed quickly dragging about 5 feet”. As the envelope deflated it snagged a tree causing minor damage to the balloon. The pilot sustained a fractured ankle and one passenger sustained minor injuries. The other occupant was not injured.
This accident is documented in NTSB report CEN10CA017. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N4502V.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the balloon during the approach and landing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
After a morning balloon flight the pilot was making an approach to landing on a golf course. During a descent to tree top level the pilot reported the winds varied from 8 to 17 miles per hour. After descending below the tops of the trees the pilot reported a gust of 17 miles per hour with a “significant wind shift” which moved the balloon laterally toward a line of trees. Just before touchdown the pilot said she “pulled the top” to avoid hitting the trees and “we landed quickly dragging about 5 feet”. As the envelope deflated it snagged a tree causing minor damage to the balloon. The pilot sustained a fractured ankle and one passenger sustained minor injuries. The other occupant was not injured.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN10CA017