Kubicek Factory S R O BB26M N90MN

Summary

On 10 January 2026 at about 16:40 local time, a Kubicek Factory S R O BB26M registered N90MN was involved in an accident near La Verkin, Utah, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 January 2026 at 16:40

Classification

Accident

Location

La Verkin, Utah, United States

Coordinates

37.2050, -113.2720

Aircraft

Kubicek Factory S R O BB26M

Registration

N90MN

Category

Balloon

Year built

2025

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hurricane → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR26LA079

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from powerlines after an aborted landing attempt.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the balloon reported that during the flight, the wind pattern changed, and the balloon had traveled toward a congested area. The pilot attempted to land in a clearing, however, decided to abort the landing with the application of the burners to initiate a climb. Subsequently, the pilot realized that the balloon would not clear a set of power lines ahead of their position and pulled out the top of the balloon to expedite a descent. The balloon impacted the power lines and support pole, which resulted in substantial damage to multiple basket suspension cables. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.