Head Balloons AX8-88 N2064W
12 September 2010 · Ft. Wayne, Indiana, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 12 September 2010 at about 23:40 local time, a Head Balloons AX8-88 registered N2064W, operated by Windswept Aeronauts Inc, was involved in an accident near Ft. Wayne, Indiana, United States. 3 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 23:40
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Ft. Wayne, Indiana, United States
- Coordinates
- 41.1975, -84.8453
- Aircraft
- Head Balloons AX8-88
- Registration
- N2064W
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Windswept Aeronauts Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Ft. Wayne → Ft. Wayne
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN10CA543
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for the landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The balloon was airborne for approximately 30 minutes prior to the pilot setting up for a landing in a grassy area alongside a road. The pilot reported that the ground crew informed him that there was a ditch running parallel to the side of the road. The balloon touched down in a bean field, about 20 feet from the grass area, and the ground crew grabbed the basket as it moved into the grass. The ground crew was not able to stop the basket and it traveled into the 10-foot deep ditch. The balloon came to rest at the bottom of the ditch with the ground crew still hanging on. One of the two passengers on board suffered a fractured leg. The injured passenger stated that she thought that either the other passenger or the pilot hit her leg during the landing. There was no damage to the balloon envelope or basket.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Head Balloons AX8 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Jun 2011 | Head Balloons AX8-88 | Summerdale, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2006 | Head Balloons AX8-88 | Gretna, Nebraska, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 Apr 2015 | Head Balloons AX8 105-NO SERIES | Intercourse, Pennsylvania, United States | Fisher Robert W | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 2004 | Head Balloons AX8-88 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 2002 | Head Balloons AX8-88 | Victor, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Apr 1997 | Head Balloons AX8-88 | San Diego, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Oct 2010 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Richmond, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Mar 2010 | Byler JDT MINI-MAX 1100R | New Paris, Indiana, United States | Byler Mark A | No injuries | - |
| 6 Mar 2010 | Piper PA-28-140 | Martinsville, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Dec 2010 | Cessna 177B | Seymour, Indiana, United States | Green Gregory E | No injuries | - |
| 3 May 2010 | Jetprop Dlx Piper PA46 | New Albany, Indiana, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 27 Jul 2010 | Wolseley Motors SE5-A | Seymour, Indiana, United States | Phillip E. Krueger | Minor injuries | - |