Cameron Balloons Us A-225 N980VA

Summary

On 15 September 2025 at about 14:10 local time, a Cameron Balloons Us A-225 registered N980VA, operated by Rainbow Ryders INC, was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 9 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

15 September 2025 at 14:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

35.0754, -106.7161

Aircraft

Cameron Balloons Us A-225

Registration

N980VA

Category

Balloon

Year built

2022

Operator

Rainbow Ryders INC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Albuquerque → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

WPR25LA284

1 person was seriously injured.

The balloon pilot’s improper landing, which resulted in serious injury to a passenger. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to brief the proper landing procedure.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that before takeoff, he instructed passengers to position themselves sideways for landing, with a shoulder facing the direction of travel. At the conclusion of the balloon flight, the pilot anticipated a bumpy landing due to an uneven landing area with knee-high bushes and winds of approximately 14 mph. He directed the passengers to get into the landing position that he had briefed. During landing, the balloon slid approximately twenty-five feet and rolled over before coming to a stop, which resulted in serious injury to one of the passengers. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations. He further reported that he was not aware of the manufacturer’s landing procedure, which advises passengers to turn backwards so their back faces the direction of travel and to secure themselves using the basket handle or tank collar.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.