Thunder and Colt COLT 120 A N240TC
23 February 2002 · Moreno Valley, California, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 23 February 2002 at about 16:05 local time, a Thunder and Colt COLT 120 A registered N240TC was involved in an accident near Moreno Valley, California, United States. 10 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 3 had minor injuries. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 16:05
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Moreno Valley, California, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Thunder and Colt COLT 120 A
- Registration
- N240TC
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Perris → Moreno Valley
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX02LA150
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate handling of the aircraft. High winds were a contributing factor.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot intended to conduct a 30-minute flight with the nine passengers, and then land in a field where the passengers would exist and another group of passengers would board. During the landing descent, the pilot encountered high winds. The balloon struck the ground, and dragged across the ground about 70 yards before coming to a stop.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Thunder and Colt COLT accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Sep 1996 | Thunder and Colt COLT 240A | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Jeffrey M. Sherman | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Apr 1995 | Thunder and Colt COLT 180A | Tucson, Arizona, United States | A Balloon Experience | Serious injuries | - |
| 30 Jan 1993 | Thunder and Colt COLT 160A | Chandler, Arizona, United States | Naturally High Balloon Co Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jul 2002 | Ayres S2R-T34 | Firebaugh, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Nov 2002 | Beechcraft A36TC | San Andreas, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 5 May 2002 | Sierra RAF 2000 GTX-SE | Lompoc, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Mar 2002 | Trenti RV-4 | Jacumba, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Sep 2002 | Pzl-Bielsko SZD-42-2 JANTAR | Hemet, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 11 Nov 2002 | Mooney M20J | Fullerton, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |