ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 285592
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| Date: | Friday 12 September 2008 |
| Time: | 06:30 LT |
| Type: |  Cameron Balloons Z-150 |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | N151TS |
| MSN: | 6485 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 148 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 7 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Sandown, New Hampshire -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Salem, NH (None) |
| Sandown, NH (None) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
According to the balloon pilot, he had checked several weather sources and sent up several helium balloons to check local winds. The flight path and speed of the test balloons confirmed the weather forecasts obtained earlier, and he saw no significant winds either on the ground or aloft. Early in the flight, the pilot noticed that the winds aloft had increased significantly. He descended to assess how close to the ground the increased winds were, so that he could start to plan for a landing. As the balloon came close to treetop level, he experienced increased wind speeds, and decided to land as soon as possible. The pilot prepared the passengers for a fast, hard, drag landing. As he approached the landing site, he allowed the balloon basket to drag through the top of trees in an effort to reduce speed. The pilot estimated that they decreased their horizontal balloon speed by 50 percent. Once clear of the trees, and over the landing site, he vented the balloon to facilitate a fast descent into the field. He informed the passengers that they would have a very hard landing and warned them to get ready for impact. Two passengers had squatted in the balloon to avoid contact with the treetops, and never returned to the correct landing position, as previously instructed by the pilot. Those passengers sustained serious injuries during the hard landing. The reported wind at a nearby airport, about 30 minutes prior to the accident, was from 190 degrees at 5 knots. Examination of the balloon revealed minor damage to the basket and no preimpact structural or mechanical failures.
Probable Cause: The pilot's encounter with high winds during approach. Contributing to the severity of injuries was the passengers' improper landing preparation.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB MIA08CA193
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 02-Oct-2022 12:00 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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