Thunder and Colt 180A N767TC
25 March 1996 · Hartsel, Colorado, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 25 March 1996 at about 16:43 local time, a Thunder and Colt 180A registered N767TC was involved in an accident near Hartsel, Colorado, United States. 10 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 16:43
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hartsel, Colorado, United States
- Coordinates
- 39.0201, -105.8001
- Aircraft
- Thunder and Colt 180A
- Registration
- N767TC
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW96FA156
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
Probable cause
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain on which to make a landing. The rocky terrain was a related factor.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the pilot, he landed the balloon on rocky terrain at the bottom of a hill in winds less than 5 mph. The balloon touched down and bounced, and the pilot vented the envelope. On the second bounce, the basket struck a rock and overturned. The basket was dragged up and over the hill, ejecting all but one passenger, who had become entangled. The pilot managed to free the passenger. A fire erupted in the balloon, and it drifted away, eventually landing in a wooded area about 8 miles away. One passenger said the balloon 'bounced up the hill many times...at least 15 times.' Another passenger said they hit the ground 2 or 3 times heavily...the basket was hitting the ground very hard and bouncing.'
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Thunder and Colt 180 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Oct 2004 | Thunder and Colt 180A | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Sep 1996 | Piper PA28-151 | Falcon, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Aug 1996 | Cessna TR182 | Telluride, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Sep 1996 | Piper PA-30 | Watkins, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Jan 1996 | Learjet 60 | Aspen, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Sep 1996 | Israel 1125 WESTWIND ASTRA | Aspen, Colorado, United States | Emery Air Charter | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jan 1996 | Piper PA-28-181 | Collbran, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |