Cameron Balloons A-315 N65400
13 November 2011 · Vacaville, California, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 13 November 2011 at about 17:10 local time, a Cameron Balloons A-315 registered N65400, operated by Napa Valley Balloons Inc, was involved in an accident near Vacaville, California, United States. 15 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 17:10
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Vacaville, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 38.4064, -121.9706
- Aircraft
- Cameron Balloons A-315
- Registration
- N65400
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Napa Valley Balloons Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Observation
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Winters → Vacaville
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR12CA035
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 |
Probable cause
The balloon’s encounter with increased wind, 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 and passengers were on a local area flight in a hot air balloon. Prior to departure, the pilot conducted a preflight orientation for the passengers, which included proper positioning in the basket during landing. According to the pilot, upon departure, the wind was from the south at 5 knots; however, when he returned for a landing, the wind had increased to 10 knots. The balloon's descent rate near the surface was 30 feet per minute. Upon contact with the ground, the balloon basket slid about 40 to 50 feet before impacting a 6- to 8-inch curb. The basket stopped abruptly and fell over. One of the passengers sustained a broken leg during the landing. The pilot's ground crew reported that the passenger was not against the downwind basket side at the time of ground contact. The pilot indicated that prior to departure, he will now require passengers to demonstrate their landing positioning so that he can ensure their understanding.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Nov 2011 | Cessna 172K | Napa, California, United States | Stratus Aviation, LLC | No injuries | - |
| 26 Feb 2011 | Hiller UH-12E | Colusa, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 2011 | Cessna 172P | Palo Alto, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Feb 2011 | Cessna A150M | Grass Valley, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jun 2011 | Grumman G-164A | Buttonwillow, California, United States | Vince Dusters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 26 Feb 2011 | Cessna 140A | Newark, California, United States | Morris Kenneth E | No injuries | - |