Thunder and Colt AX9-140 N9606A
2 December 1995 · Gallup, New Mexico, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 2 December 1995 at about 16:30 local time, a Thunder and Colt AX9-140 registered N9606A was involved in an accident near Gallup, New Mexico, United States. 7 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 16:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Gallup, New Mexico, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.5196, -108.7293
- Aircraft
- Thunder and Colt AX9-140
- Registration
- N9606A
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW96LA059
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
Probable cause
the high winds and the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot obtained a weather briefing about 1 hour and 15 minutes prior to the balloon flight. About 30 to 35 minutes into the flight, winds increased, and the balloon was pushed over a wilderness area with ridges and canyons. Several approaches were abandoned due to power lines. Winds increased to 35 knots and the passengers were briefed for a hard landing. During the landing, the pilot was ejected from the balloon. Passengers grabbed the vent line and continued to pull until the balloon came to a stop. The total drag distance was 300 to 400 feet.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Thunder and Colt AX9 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 May 1990 | Thunder and Colt AX9-140 | Napa, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Aug 1990 | Thunder and Colt AX9-140 SLI | Napa, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jun 1995 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Mimbres, New Mexico, United States | Bartelett Aviation | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 1995 | Thunder and Colt AX7-77 | Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 1995 | Cessna 152 | Farmington, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 1995 | Cessna 421C | El Prado, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 22 Oct 1995 | Beechcraft 95 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Jul 1995 | Piper PA-32-260 | Farmington, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |