Arbc 69X N76627
22 July 2015 · Longview, Texas, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 22 July 2015 at about 13:30 local time, a Arbc 69X registered N76627 was involved in an accident near Longview, Texas, United States. One person was 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 13:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Longview, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 32.6911, -94.7056
- Aircraft
- Arbc 69X
- Registration
- N76627
- Category
- Balloon
- Year built
- 2012
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Air Race/Show
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Kilgore → Longview
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN15LA314
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The balloon’s hard landing due to a high surface wind and downdraft, which resulted in the pilot sustaining a serious leg injury.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that, as the balloon descended, the wind speed increased. He aborted the first landing to avoid power lines and chose to land in an adjacent field. During the landing, the balloon encountered a downdraft after the pilot turned off the burners and pulled the parachute top to release hot air. The balloon impacted the ground hard, dragged the basket a short distance, and then stopped. The balloon was not damaged, but the pilot's left hip and ankle were broken during the hard landing. An examination of the balloon and its systems revealed no anomalies.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Sep 2015 | Cessna TR182 | Midland, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 31 Jan 2015 | Butler Raymond ROTORWAY EXEC 162F | Seadrift, Texas, United States | Butler William Raymond | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jul 2015 | Aero Commander 100 | San Antonio, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 Jun 2015 | Hunziker EROS 1650R | Quitman, Texas, United States | Ben J. Hunziker | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Jan 2015 | Maule MX 7-180 | Georgetown, Texas, United States | Donald Pfiester | No injuries | - |
| 3 Nov 2015 | Bell 407 | San Antonio, Texas, United States | Air Evac EMS, Inc. | No injuries | - |