Pilot Debrief

ARBC INC DBA LINDSTRAND 180A near Prairie du Sac, WI — 2012-08-04

Final reportCEN12LA591
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Date
2012-08-04
Location
Prairie du Sac, WI, USA
Airport
91C
Aircraft
ARBC INC DBA LINDSTRAND 180A
Registration
N3013T
Category
Balloon
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Descent

Probable cause

The pilot's loss of control of the balloon during a landing in higher-than-expected wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing.

NTSB narrative

Before the flight, the pilot obtained a proper weather briefing, and the wind for the area of the flight was forecast to be about 7 knots and decreasing during the flight. The pilot stated that the wind was initially out of the east about 6 knots, but during the flight it had increased to about 15 knots. The pilot said that after 1 hour and 45 minutes of flight he encountered wind shear. He attempted to descend and maneuver the balloon to seek lower wind, but the terrain was "hilly," which presented problems for landing due to wind "rotors" that could deform the balloon's envelope. According to the pilot, as the balloon moved toward a nearby airport, where he hoped to land, a wind shear pushed the balloon's envelope in. The pilot briefed the passengers before landing; however, the balloon's gondola hit tree tops during the descent and began to tip. The pilot then shut off the burners and opened the balloon's envelope vents to rapidly deflate the balloon, which would minimize the gondola being dragged after landing. During the landing, one of the passengers sustained a serious leg injury. Although the wind at the accident site could not be determined, one of the passengers reported that his hand-held GPS device indicated a ground speed of 15 mph just before touchdown. Landing in higher wind conditions in a balloon typically results in the gondola tipping over and dragging as the envelope deflates and is pulled by the wind.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have chosen a different landing area earlier to avoid wind shear.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 5 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents5

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