Cameron Balloons Us A-105 N105BM

Summary

On 8 October 2023 at about 14:15 local time, a Cameron Balloons Us A-105 registered N105BM was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 3 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

8 October 2023 at 14:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

35.1636, -106.6283

Aircraft

Cameron Balloons Us A-105

Registration

N105BM

Category

Balloon

Year built

2008

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

WPR24LA011

1 person was seriously injured.

A hard landing to a short field, due to windy conditions and a lack of suitable alternate landing areas, which resulted in a passenger sustaining a broken ankle.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

**This report was modified on February 14, 2025. Please see the public docket for this accident to view the original report.** The pilot of the balloon reported that she performed an approach to land in an adequate but relatively small field with no suitable alternates nearby. With a wind of about 8 knots, the pilot considered this to be a high-wind landing. Once the balloon was clear of all obstacles and within 15 ft above ground level, she used the balloon’s smart vent system to perform a controlled landing, in accordance with the balloon’s operating manual. The balloon landed hard, which resulted in one passenger breaking her ankle. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.