ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 357766
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| Date: | Saturday 17 February 1996 |
| Time: | 09:30 LT |
| Type: |  Aerostar S-77A |
| Owner/operator: | Hot Air Expeditions, Inc. |
| Registration: | N6317U |
| MSN: | S77A-3013 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 10 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Tucson, AZ -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A passenger sustained fractures of foot bones during a hard landing in high wind conditions during a for-hire local area sightseeing flight in a balloon. The pilot reported that the winds were nearly calm when the flight departed. The balloon drifted in a northerly direction and the pilot selected a flat area being prepared for a new housing development. The pilot described the winds at the time of the landing as about 8 knots. The balloon was descending on a flat trajectory towards the preselected spot when the pilot noticed a drainage canal under construction just beyond. The pilot said he was concerned about the balloon ending up in the canal and ceased venting in order to go beyond the ditch. He said the balloon landed firmly, not hard, and bounced several times before coming to a stop on it's side. The injured passenger and other passengers on the flight reported that the balloon descended toward the landing spot and 'all of a sudden we hit the ground really hard, the balloon basket fell over onto it's side, then, back to an upright position, and the next thing we knew we were up in the air again.' The passengers further stated, 'then we came down at an angle, and bounced on the ground five times.' The passenger stated that she felt a sharp pain in her right foot as the balloon was bouncing on the ground.
Probable Cause: the interruption to the pilot's planned landing approach due to obstructions in the original touchdown spot, which led to the pilot misjudging the landing flare.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX96LA190
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 3 July 1995 | N6317U | Balloons Above The Valley | 1 | Davis, CA | |
min |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Mar-2024 06:20 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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