Summary
On November 11, 2009, a Cameron Balloons Us A-250 (N4062M) was involved in an accident near Napa, CA. 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 pilot's encounter with variable winds which resulted in a hard landing and passenger injury.
The pilot of the balloon reported that after three unsuccessful landing attempts during the sightseeing flight, he located a grassy 2-3 acre field and positioned the balloon for landing. He stated that the approach was from the northwest at 500-feet and the balloon was traveling about 6 knots. The pilot anticipated winds near the surface to be from the east, however, after descending to 250-feet the balloon continued in a southerly direction, near trees. The pilot executed a controlled descent over a tree and landed firmly. The basket bounced once and came to rest upright with the balloon's envelope against a tree. After the landing, one of the passengers complained of ankle pain and was transported to a hospital. A medical evaluation revealed that the passenger's ankle was fractured.
This accident is documented in NTSB report WPR10CA058. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N4062M.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's encounter with variable winds which resulted in a hard landing and passenger injury.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot of the balloon reported that after three unsuccessful landing attempts during the sightseeing flight, he located a grassy 2-3 acre field and positioned the balloon for landing. He stated that the approach was from the northwest at 500-feet and the balloon was traveling about 6 knots. The pilot anticipated winds near the surface to be from the east, however, after descending to 250-feet the balloon continued in a southerly direction, near trees. The pilot executed a controlled descent over a tree and landed firmly. The basket bounced once and came to rest upright with the balloon's envelope against a tree. After the landing, one of the passengers complained of ankle pain and was transported to a hospital. A medical evaluation revealed that the passenger's ankle was fractured. The pilot reported that a passenger landing briefing was completed prior to 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# WPR10CA058