Summary
On August 02, 2012, a Aerostar International INC S81A (N5316Q) was involved in an accident near Colorado Springs, CO. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury, with 11 people uninjured out of 12 aboard.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's encounter with an unexpected shift of wind direction and velocity, which resulted in a hard landing and passenger injury.
The pilot was operating a sightseeing hot air balloon flight with eleven passengers. According to pilot statement, the approach was flown to a standard company landing field. During approach to landing, winds unexpectedly shifted from 330 degrees at eight knots to 110 degrees at speeds up to 18 knots. As the easterly winds decreased to approximately 12 knots, the pilot elected to continue the approach into an unplanned landing area and informed the passengers to prepare for a high wind landing by bending their knees and holding on to the rope handles tightly. According to the pilot, the hard landing occurred at approximately 12 knots groundspeed, in an open area with uneven terrain. Of the eleven passengers on board, one suffered a fractured ankle.
This accident is documented in NTSB report CEN12CA511. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5316Q.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's encounter with an unexpected shift of wind direction and velocity, which resulted in a hard landing and passenger injury.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot was operating a sightseeing hot air balloon flight with eleven passengers. According to pilot statement, the approach was flown to a standard company landing field. During approach to landing, winds unexpectedly shifted from 330 degrees at eight knots to 110 degrees at speeds up to 18 knots. As the easterly winds decreased to approximately 12 knots, the pilot elected to continue the approach into an unplanned landing area and informed the passengers to prepare for a high wind landing by bending their knees and holding on to the rope handles tightly. According to the pilot, the hard landing occurred at approximately 12 knots groundspeed, in an open area with uneven terrain. Of the eleven passengers on board, one suffered a fractured ankle. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN12CA511