Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Spring City, Pennsylvania 19475
Sunday, June 15, 2014 7:15 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On June 15, 2014, about 0715 eastern daylight time, a Cameron Balloons US Z-225 balloon, N65625, had the commercial-rated pilot receive fatal injuries when he fell from the basket during landing in a field near Spring City, Pennsylvania. The 10 passengers were not injured. There was no damage to the basket or envelope. The balloon was registered to Morning Star Visions, and operated by The United States Hot Air Balloon Team under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 revenue sightseeing flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated about 0620 from Pottstown Municipal Airport, Pottstown, Pennsylvania.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector-in-charge (FAA-IIC), the pilot was attempting to land in an open field of newly planted corn at the time of the accident.
One passenger reported they were given landing instructions by the pilot which included to crouch down and hold onto a rope. The passenger indicated the pilot informed them he was attempting to contact the top of trees to slow the balloon, but in fact the balloon cleared the trees. The basket rocked back and forth on the ground several times, and the passenger noted the pilot reached for a rope but somehow lost his balance and fell out of the basket. When the basket came to rest, another passenger pulled a rope, and she yelled for all to get out of the basket. She and her daughter went to the pilot, and then ran to a nearby residence to summon help.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/15/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 715 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Spring City |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 19475 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 400950N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0753222W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| 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 | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 654 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 350 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PTW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 308 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 9 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.14 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 10 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 2 2014 9:27AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N65625 |
| NTSB Number | ERA14LA290 |
| 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 | CAMERON BALLOONS US |
| Aircraft Model | Z-225 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 6630 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4500 |
| 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 | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MORNING STAR VISIONS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SMOKETOWN |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 17576-0004 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | The United States Hot Air Balloon Team |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Saint Peter's |
| Operator State | PA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 19470 |
| 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) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | N47 |
| Departure City | Pottstown |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 620 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Spring City |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 2 2014 9:27AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| 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 | -- |