Lindstrand LBL69A N266LB

Summary

On 27 September 2015 at about 13:45 local time, a Lindstrand LBL69A registered N266LB, operated by Wooge G Scott, was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 2 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.

Date

27 September 2015 at 13:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

35.1492, -106.7747

Aircraft

Lindstrand LBL69A

Registration

N266LB

Category

Balloon

Year built

2003

Operator

Wooge G Scott

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Albuquerque → Albuquerque

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN15LA434

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain a proper descent rate on approach, which resulted in a hard landing and the pilot sustaining a serious injury. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of recent experience flying a standard-shaped balloon.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial balloon pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to obtain currency in landings and to practice steep approaches. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger obtained a weather briefing from flight service and also checked the weather at the launch site; the weather conditions were good for the flight. They took off in the balloon and began tracking to the south. The pilot immediately began practicing approaches and landings. She performed three approaches and full-stop landings on road intersections without any problems. She began the fourth approach to a road about 1,000 ft above ground level. The pilot reported that she misjudged the approach and that, upon landing, the balloon hit the road's edge hard. The pilot was thrown forward and hit the basket bolster with her chest. The balloon bounced and then touched down on the opposite side of the road. The basket then tipped over and was dragged about 10 ft before it stopped. The pilot sustained broken ribs during the accident. The pilot reported that the accident balloon was a standard-sized balloon, which was different from the racing balloon that she usually flew, and that the racing balloons climb and descend differently. It is likely that the pilot's lack of recent experience flying the standard-shaped balloon contributed to her failure to maintain a proper descent rate during the approach.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.