Ultramagic Sa T210 N123UT
6 October 2017 · Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 6 October 2017 at about 14:00 local time, a Ultramagic Sa T210 registered N123UT, operated by Pacific RIM Adventures Inc DBA, was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 25 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.1981, -106.5964
- Aircraft
- Ultramagic Sa T210
- Registration
- N123UT
- Category
- Balloon
- Year built
- 2007
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Pacific RIM Adventures Inc DBA
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Observation
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Albuquerque → Albuquerque
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- GAA18CA016
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 23 |
Probable cause
The other pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from a balloon on the ground during landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The Ultramagic balloon pilot reported that, during a balloon festival, after a local sightseeing flight, he landed the balloon and decided to wait for the ground crew to locate the balloon before deflating. He added that, as the balloon was deflating, he "heard a basket sliding across the top of [his] balloon." The balloon rotated counter-clockwise, and the balloon basket, still loaded with passengers, rolled upside down. The Ultramagic balloon sustained substantial damage to the burner rack. One passenger sustained serious injuries. The Lindstrand balloon pilot reported that, during landing, there were two balloons in his flightpath. He added that he climbed and passed the first balloon but was unable to pass the second balloon, and "I brushed him with my basket on the top of his balloon." He landed the balloon without further incident. The Ultramagic pilot and the Lindstrand operations manager reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloons that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultramagic Sa T210 NO SERIES | N123UT | Pacific RIM Adventures Inc DBA | Substantial |
| Lindstrand LBL240A | C-FCKX | Sundance Balloons (2008) Ltd | - |
Other Ultramagic Sa T210 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jun 2013 | Ultramagic Sa T210 | Boulder, Colorado, United States | Fair Winds Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Jun 2024 | Ultramagic Sa T210 | Arroyo Hondo, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious 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 | - |