Pilot Debrief

LINDSTRAND BALLOONS 210S near Albuquerque, NM — 2012-09-22

Final reportCEN12LA659
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Date
2012-09-22
Location
Albuquerque, NM, USA
Aircraft
LINDSTRAND BALLOONS 210S
Registration
N608RR
Category
Balloon
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Descent

Probable cause

The failure of the balloon envelope parachute vent to properly seat, which resulted in the uncontrolled descent of the balloon. The reason the vent did not properly seat during the accident flight could not be determined because the vent operated properly during examination and testing.

NTSB narrative

Before the flight, the pilot had difficulty getting the balloon envelope parachute vent to seat properly. Once the passengers were loaded, the vent seated, likely due to the weight of the occupants. During the flight, the pilot momentarily opened the parachute vent to allow the balloon to descend to a more desirable altitude. The pilot stated that the vent once again did not seat properly, leaving a 12- to 20-inch gap between the vent and the balloon envelope. He added heat to the envelope in an attempt to reseat the vent, but it did not reseat. The balloon continued to descend and contacted the terrain, seriously injuring one of the eight passengers. A postaccident examination and testing of the vent system did not reveal any reason why the parachute vent would not have operated normally during the flight.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the flight after initial vent issues.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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