Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Albuquerque Intl Sunport Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87113
Monday, October 5, 2009 8:02 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During a morning balloon competition flight the pilot was attempting to maneuver the balloon in order to drop a marker on a target. When approaching the target area the pilot said she was flying approximately 15 feet above ground level when she “burned to ascend” over a steel frame sponsor’s tent on the edge of the competition target area. The balloon cleared the rear of the tent, but the basket struck the front edge. A review of a video recording of the event shows that the impact abruptly tilted the basket more than 45 degrees. The passenger was ejected and fell approximately 30 feet to the ground. Suddenly minus the weight of the missing passenger the balloon then ascended rapidly and the pilot attempted to correct by venting. The rapid climb and the venting at the top of the balloon envelope caused the mouth of the balloon to close and the balloon then began descending rapidly. The pilot was unable to correct the descent with a burn because the closed mouth was being burned by the flames from the burner. The balloon landed hard and sustained minor damage. The passenger and pilot both sustained serious injuries.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from a known obstacle and the pilot’s failure to maintain control of the balloon during the sudden climb following the ejection of the passenger.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/5/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 802 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Albuquerque |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 87113 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 351114N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1063514W |
| Event Location Airport | Albuquerque Intl Sunport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ABQ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 11 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 5355 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 756 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KABQ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5355 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 11 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 15 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.89 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KABQ 051356Z 18009KT 10SM FEW040 15/11 A2989 RMK A |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26207 |
| NTSB Notification Source | SW Regional Communications Cen |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 15 2009 2:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9126K |
| NTSB Number | CEN10CA010 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL |
| Aircraft Model | RX-7 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | RX7-3326 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1480 |
| Aircraft Category | Balloon |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Aug 22 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 5 |
| Airframe Hours | 192 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | EKLUND TIMMERLY R |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 123 WILBERN RD |
| Aircraft Owner City | WASHBURN |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 61570-9683 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | EKLUND TIMMERLY R |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 123 WILBERN RD |
| Operator City | WASHBURN |
| Operator State | IL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 61570-9683 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Air Race/Show |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Albuquerque |
| Departure State | NM |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 755 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Albuquerque |
| Destination State | NM |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 27 2009 1:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | latt |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |