Cameron N-105 N29922
7 October 2017 · Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 7 October 2017 at about 15:00 local time, a Cameron N-105 registered N29922 was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 4 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 15:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.0389, -106.6083
- Aircraft
- Cameron N-105
- Registration
- N29922
- Category
- Balloon
- Year built
- 1986
- Operator
- Not recorded
- 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
- CEN18LA006
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
The steep approach and hard landing after the balloon encountered unexpected high wind conditions, which resulted in a serious injury to a passenger.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The commercial pilot stated that, after departure in the balloon, the surface wind increased to about 20 knots during the 1-hour flight. Due to the balloon's direction of flight approaching restricted airspace, the pilot decided to land at the first suitable landing site, which was bordered by power lines and trees to the north and residential homes 100 yards to the south. He landed the balloon in a steep descent to reduce the risk of the basket being dragged on the ground and briefed the passengers to bend their knees and brace for impact. The basket made firm ground contact upon landing and tipped over. The wind dragged the basket about 30 ft before it came to rest. One passenger sustained a broken foot during the hard landing. The pilot reported that wind conditions were predicted to be light, and that the conditions he experienced were not forecast. He further stated that he was not familiar with the local flying area, and had he familiarized himself with the area, including potential landing areas and weather patterns, he may have been able to avoid being pressured to land in high-wind conditions.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cameron N-105 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Nov 1989 | Cameron N-105 | Bryan, Texas, United States | Daniel M. McGuire | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jun 2017 | Bellanca 7GCBC | Edgewood, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jun 2017 | Air Tractor AT 502 | Portales, New Mexico, United States | King AG Aviation Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 16 Sep 2017 | Bell 206L 3 | Ancho, New Mexico, United States | WQRE News 13 | Fatal | 1 |
| 10 Aug 2017 | Cirrus SR22T | Raton, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 21 Sep 2017 | Cessna 180 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 May 2017 | Cessna 170 | Taos, New Mexico, United States | Serendipity Flying Club | No injuries | - |