Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Frisco, Texas 75074
Sunday, May 21, 2000 19:45 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Prior to landing the balloon, the pilot informed the two passengers that they 'were going to make a fast approach, and it was going to be a hard landing.' He instructed the passengers to 'face the direction the balloon was traveling, bend their knees and hold on to rope handles or the tanks.' When the balloon impacted the ground and 'started a drag', one of the passengers 'lost her grip' and was ejected. While trying to reach for the passenger, the pilot and the other passenger were ejected. The two passengers fell to the ground, and the basket traveled over one of the passengers, who received three cracked ribs. The pilot maintained a grip on the deflation line; however, the balloon ascended approximately 20 feet agl before descending and coming to rest on the ground. The pilot reported the wind speed on landing was 12 knots. A weather reporting station (12 miles east of the accident site) reported the wind speed at 6 knots. The Cameron Balloons US Flight Manual states, in part, 'If it will be a high wind landing or a landing during a rapid vertical descent and it is expected that the basket may rebound or tip over or drag on a corner, the passengers should be briefed to face away from the direction of flight, hold on to the interior basket handle or tank collar in front of them, and crouch slightly. This position is most likely to prevent them from being thrown from the basket on impact or while dragging. It is most critical that the pilot remain in the basket during the landing process.'
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate passenger briefing for a high wind landing. A factor was the wind.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/21/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1945 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | FRISCO |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 75074 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1953 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 80 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TKI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 792 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 150 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2227 |
| 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) | 333 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Communications Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 23 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1853 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 4 2001 7:07AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6012C |
| NTSB Number | FTW00LA152 |
| 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-90 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | V-90 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 5983 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1750 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 30 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 66 |
| Airframe Hours | 229 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JOHN KELLY PAYNE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 616 TUMBLEWEED CT. |
| Aircraft Owner City | PLANO |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 75023 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | AIRVENTURE BALLOON PORT |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1791 MILLARD ST., SUITE D |
| Operator City | PLANO |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 75074 |
| 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) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | PLANO |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1845 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | NONE |
| Destination City | FRISCO |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 4 2001 7:07AM |
| 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 | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |