Pilot Debrief

THUNDER & COLT AIRBORNE AMER AX10 180 near Albuquerque, NM — 2017-02-20

Final reportCEN17LA118
Sign in to save
Date
2017-02-20
Location
Albuquerque, NM, USA
Airport
ABQ
Aircraft
THUNDER & COLT AIRBORNE AMER AX10 180
Registration
N709TC
Category
Balloon
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot’s delayed reaction to the balloon’s increased rate of descent during an attempted landing, which resulted in impact with a power line.

NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot of the balloon was performing a local sightseeing flight. The balloon took off from a field, climbed, and drifted southeast. As the balloon approached an interstate, the pilot began a descent to land on a field near a university campus. About 100 to 140 ft above ground level (agl), the balloon entered a rapid descent. The pilot applied maximum fuel to the burner system to arrest the descent; however, the descent continued. The pilot stopped the descent about 50 ft agl and the balloon began to climb again; upon reaching 75 ft agl, the balloon gondola contacted power lines. The contact caused electricity to arc through the gondola, severing two of the four suspension cables. The pilot "hand-removed" the power line from the gondola, applied heat to the burner system, and climbed away from the power lines. The pilot subsequently made an uneventful landing on a soccer field at the university about a mile away from the power lines. The National Weather Service (NWS) surface analysis chart depicted a cold front, which was located immediately south of the area at the time of the accident and moving across the state. The front resulted in a shift of the prevailing wind to the north-northwest with an increasing pressure gradient behind the front. Some lifting would be associated ahead of the front and then would subside but wouldn't be classified as strong downdrafts near the accident site. Though not conclusive, it is possible that the shifting wind and changing weather conditions could have affected the performance of the balloon, causing an increase in its descent rate during the pilot's landing approach.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Environmental
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have chosen a different landing area to avoid power lines.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 5 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents5

Related mishaps