Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Littleton, Colorado 80126
Thursday, September 24, 1992 7:30 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WINDS WERE CALM WHEN THE BALLOON LIFTED OFF. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WINDS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. SHE STATED THAT THE FIRST LANDING ATTEMPT WAS ABORTED BECAUSE OF THE HIGH WIND. SHE THEN BRIEFED HER PASSENGERS ON HIGH WIND LANDING PROCEDURES. SHE LEVELLED OFF AT 40 FEET, THEN PULLED THE ENVELOPE RIP CORD. THE BALLOON MADE A HARD LANDING AND OVERTURNED. AVAILABLE WEATHER DATA COULD NOT CONFIRM THE EXISTENCE OF HIGH WIND VELOCITIES IN THE DENVER AREA AT THE TIME.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

UNDETERMINED.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/24/1992
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 730
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City LITTLETON
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80126
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 60
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 25
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 30
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 6213
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1942
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 25 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1400
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 46783
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:18PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7403U
NTSB Number DEN92LA095
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage None
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cameron
Aircraft Model V-77
Aircraft Series Identifier V-77
Aircraft Serial Number 5109
Certified Max Gross Weight 1540
Aircraft Category Balloon
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft --
Number of Engines 0
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Feb 12 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 8
Airframe Hours 171
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PAYNE, KATHIE A.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 8 SIOUX TRAIL
Aircraft Owner City EVERGREEN
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 80439
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name PAYNE, KATHIE A.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code NONE
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 745
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code NONE
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --