Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80910
Thursday, August 2, 2012 7:45 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
At the conclusion of a hot air balloon sightseeing flight, the pilot initiated an approach to a standard company landing field. During the approach, the wind unexpectedly shifted from 330 degrees at 8 knots to 110 degrees at up to 18 knots. As the easterly winds decreased to about 12 knots, the pilot elected to continue the approach into an unplanned landing area and told the passengers to prepare for a high-wind landing by bending their knees and holding on to the rope handles tightly. According to the pilot, the balloon landed hard, traveling about 12 knots groundspeed in an open area with uneven terrain. One of the 11 passengers sustained a fractured ankle. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's encounter with an unexpected shift of wind direction and velocity, which resulted in a hard landing and passenger injury.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/2/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 745 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Colorado Springs |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80910 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 384800N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1043900W |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 754 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 20 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | kcos |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| 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) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.16 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KCOS 021154Z 36009KT 10SM FEW100 18/08 A3017 |
| 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 | 11 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30233 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 24 2012 7:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | snyg |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5316Q |
| NTSB Number | CEN12CA511 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL INC |
| Aircraft Model | S81A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | S81A-3014 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3205 |
| 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 | 13 |
| Number of Engines | 0 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MARKETING SERVICES INC OF PUEBLO |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1680 S 21ST ST |
| Aircraft Owner City | COLORADO SPRINGS |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80904-4262 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | MARKETING SERVICES INC OF PUEBLO |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1680 S 21ST ST |
| Operator City | COLORADO SPRINGS |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 80904-4262 |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Colorado Springs |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Colorado Springs |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 23 2012 2:23PM |
| User who most recently changed record | folm |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |