Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Custer Park Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Custer, South Dakota 57730
Saturday, July 27, 2002 6:45 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The aircraft experienced a hard landing while landing on an open prairie. The pilot reported that the balloon encountered increased winds at an altitude of approximately 200 feet. He stated that the lower level wind had picked up when he came in to land. He reported that he briefed his passengers for the landing, telling them to bend their knees and hold on. The pilot stated that the balloon contacted the ground on an upslope with a fairly steep incline just prior to the prairie and he pulled the top out of the balloon for fast deflation. According to the pilot, the balloon slid approximately 60 feet to the top of the incline and as it passed over the top of the incline the basket swung up and forward for about 30 to 40 feet. He stated that the basket then contacted the ground and slid to a rest within 50 to 60 feet. The pilot reported that another pilot in a balloon behind him used a GPS to check the winds while airborne. This pilot reported the winds were 27 miles per hour. An FAA Inspector who was at the balloon rally reported that approximately 10 minutes after the accident balloon's departure, the wind speed increased and the wind direction varied. He reported that this lasted for approximately 10 minutes then the winds calmed down.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot of the balloon did not maintain aircraft control. Factors contributing to the accident include the variable winds and the inadequate compensation for the wind conditions by the pilot in command.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/27/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 645 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Custer |
| Event State | SOUTH DAKOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 57730 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 434400N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1033706W |
| Event Location Airport | Custer Park Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 3V0 |
| 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 | 3980 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 653 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 320 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CUT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3980 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 34 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.98 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 5217 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 7 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12401 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 29 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 800 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 4 2002 9:07AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Rapid City, SD FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2867W |
| NTSB Number | CHI02LA216 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Aerostar International |
| Aircraft Model | S-77A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3002 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2800 |
| 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 | 8 |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 1 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 5.5 |
| Airframe Hours | 515 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Gary Born |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1005 N. Tumbleweed |
| Aircraft Owner City | Eloy |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85231 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Scott E, Nash |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 748 Fox Run Drive |
| Operator City | Rapid City |
| Operator State | SD |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 57701 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 3V0 |
| Departure City | Custer |
| Departure State | SD |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 600 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 3V0 |
| Destination City | Custer |
| Destination State | SD |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - flare/touchdown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 23 2002 9:42AM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |