National Ballooning 858 N31802
31 May 2009 · Fremont, Nebraska, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 31 May 2009 at about 11:57 local time, a National Ballooning 858 registered N31802, operated by Jaworski Richard L, was involved in an accident near Fremont, Nebraska, United States. 4 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 11:57
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Fremont, Nebraska, United States
- Nearest airport
- Fremont Municipal Airport (KFET)
- Coordinates
- 41.4583, -96.4053
- Aircraft
- National Ballooning 858
- Registration
- N31802
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Jaworski Richard L
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Waterloo → Fremont
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN09CA328
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
The passenger’s inability to position herself properly for the normal balloon landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
After a 60-minute morning balloon flight the pilot executed a normal flare to a touch down into two-foot high pasture grass on a soft soil base. GPS records show the touchdown was at six miles per hour. The pilot used the rotator vent to align the balloon so that all of the occupants were facing forward for the touchdown, and he had previously instructed the passengers on how to hold on the rope handles and braces and how to slightly bend their knees for the first impacts of landing. The 79-year-old female passenger said that because she was so short she had to stretch her left arm to hold on to the upper brace. At the first impact with the ground, her adult son standing behind her said that he heard a "pop" and that she then screamed in pain. After the basket stopped moving, the pilot deflated the balloon and tipped the basket on its side to assist the injured passenger in exiting. The passenger was transported to the hospital for treatment of a broken left humerus bone. The other occupants were not injured and the balloon was not damaged.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other National Ballooning 858 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jun 2012 | National Ballooning 858 | Pierce, Nebraska, United States | Wayne A Mohring | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Jul 2003 | National Ballooning 858 | Louisville, Colorado, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jun 2009 | Peterson Allen L DRAGONFLY II | Arthur, Nebraska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 22 Aug 2009 | Cessna 182 | Weeping Water, Nebraska, United States | Lincoln Sport Parachute Club Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jul 2009 | Beechcraft TC-45J | Verdel, Nebraska, United States | Nielsen Richard D | Fatal | 1 |
| 4 Mar 2009 | Piper PA-18A | Wood Lake, Nebraska, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 2009 | Luscombe 8E | Weeping Water, Nebraska, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 Oct 2009 | Piper PA-18-150 | Bingham, Nebraska, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |