Cameron Balloons N-180 N4506B
26 November 2005 · Rancho Santa Fe, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 26 November 2005 at about 00:36 local time, a Cameron Balloons N-180 registered N4506B was involved in an accident near Rancho Santa Fe, California, United States. 12 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 00:36
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Rancho Santa Fe, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 32.9881, -117.2056
- Aircraft
- Cameron Balloons N-180
- Registration
- N4506B
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Del Mar → Rancho Santa Fe
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX06CA046
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
Probable cause
the pilot's inadvertent deactivation of the number 2 burner, which resulted in an increased rate of descent and a collision with a tree short of the intended landing zone.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The balloon collided with a tree while attempting to land during a revenue sightseeing flight. The pilot said that he was descending to land in a golf course at the time of the accident and collided with a tree short of the intended landing zone after inadvertently shutting off the number 2 burner. The crossover valve for that burner is in close proximity to the burner handle. About 30 feet above the ground, the balloon collided with an eucalyptus tree. The balloon envelope tore slowly enough to safely drop the basket to the ground. None of the 11 passengers and crew onboard were injured.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 May 2005 | Robinson R44 | Lucerne Valley, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 May 2005 | S A Centrair PEGASE 101D | Williams, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 May 2005 | Cessna 172N | Stockton, California, United States | Luis Rivara | No injuries | - |
| 27 Dec 2005 | Socata TBM 700 | Lancaster, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 28 Dec 2005 | Learjet 35A | Truckee, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 8 Sep 2005 | Robinson R22 | Santa Clarita, California, United States | Orbic Helicopters | No injuries | - |