Pilot Debrief

AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL RX8 near Albuquerque, NM — 2009-10-08

Final reportCEN10CA015
Sign in to save
Date
2009-10-08
Location
Albuquerque, NM, USA
Airport
KABQ
Aircraft
AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL RX8
Registration
N4014J
Category
Balloon
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to select an adequate landing area.

NTSB narrative

After a morning balloon flight of more than one hour the private pilot was making her third attempt at landing. On the previous attempts a slight wind shift to the left was taking the balloon away from the target area and into unacceptable obstructions. The pilot said she was aware that “fuel was an issue” and she knew she did not have enough fuel to cross the congested downtown metropolitan area ahead. She picked a parking lot with one end empty of vehicles as her landing area. After crossing the wires on the edge of the parking lot she “ripped out pulling the vent line as far as (she) could”. The pilot joined her passengers at the bottom of the balloon's basket for the expected hard landing as balloon skidded across the parking lot and struck a concrete barrier. Becoming airborne again, the basket then struck and damaged a building and fell approximately six feet to the ground. One passenger sustained a fractured ankle. The other occupants were not injured and the balloon sustained minor damage.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 1 docket document
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents1

Related mishaps