Cameron Balloons Us A-250 N4062M
11 November 2009 · Napa, California, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 11 November 2009 at about 17:45 local time, a Cameron Balloons Us A-250 registered N4062M, operated by Napa Valley Balloons Inc, was involved in an accident near Napa, California, United States. 13 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 17:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Napa, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 38.3681, -122.2883
- Aircraft
- Cameron Balloons Us A-250
- Registration
- N4062M
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Napa Valley Balloons Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Yountville → Napa
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR10CA058
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 |
Probable cause
The pilot's encounter with variable winds which resulted in a hard landing and passenger injury.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot of the balloon reported that after three unsuccessful landing attempts during the sightseeing flight, he located a grassy 2-3 acre field and positioned the balloon for landing. He stated that the approach was from the northwest at 500-feet and the balloon was traveling about 6 knots. The pilot anticipated winds near the surface to be from the east; however, after descending to 250-feet the balloon continued in a southerly direction, near trees. The pilot executed a controlled descent over a tree and landed firmly. The basket bounced once and came to rest upright with the balloon's envelope against a tree. After the landing, one of the passengers complained of ankle pain and was transported to a hospital. A medical evaluation revealed that the passenger's ankle was fractured. The pilot reported that a passenger landing briefing was completed prior to landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 2009 | Cessna 172P | Livermore, California, United States | Wollard Aviation Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 10 Dec 2009 | Piper PA-38-112 | Ojai, California, United States | Aviation Pacific Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 28 Feb 2009 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Fallbrook, California, United States | M.Y. Air Corp | No injuries | - |
| 28 Feb 2009 | Mooney M20E | Rio Linda, California, United States | David Michaud | Fatal | 2 |
| 29 Nov 2009 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 | Torrance, California, United States | Smith Richard Charles | No injuries | - |
| 23 Aug 2009 | Piper PA-24-260 | Santa Barbara, California, United States | Kris S Michel | No injuries | - |