Ultramagic Sa N-300 N330LV

Summary

On 18 June 2026 at about 13:45 local time, a Ultramagic Sa N-300 registered N330LV, operated by Vegas Balloon Rides (2021) LLC, was involved in an accident near Pahrump, Nevada, United States. 10 people were on board and 3 were seriously injured, 7 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

18 June 2026 at 13:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Pahrump, Nevada, United States

Coordinates

36.2493, -116.1766

Aircraft

Ultramagic Sa N-300

Registration

N330LV

Category

Balloon

Year built

2018

Operator

Vegas Balloon Rides (2021) LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pahrump → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR26LA225

3 people were seriously injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On June 18, 2026, at 0645 mountain daylight time, an Ultramagic SA N-300 balloon, N330LV, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Pahrump, Nevada. The pilot and 2 passengers were seriously injured; 7 passengers sustained minor injuries. The balloon was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 sightseeing flight. The pilot reported that after completing a safety briefing to the 9 passengers, he launched the balloon at 0545 with calm wind, and expected to arrive at the intended destination, a dry lakebed, about 40 minutes later. The flight went as planned; however, during the landing approach, the pilot noticed a strong crosswind and aborted the landing. The pilot explained to the passengers that they would continue flying until the wind conditions were calmer. About 5 minutes later, the pilot initiated a second landing approach and did not notice a crosswind. The passengers assumed the safety position, and the pilot turned off the fuel tanks, and bled the fuel lines. The pilot then fully opened the quick-deflation system as the basket touched down normally. As the balloon deflated on the ground, the wind increased, which pushed the balloon and tilted the basket onto its side. The basket continued to drag across the ground and the uprights fracturing followed by the basket becoming partially inverted. According to the pilot, during the accident sequence, a passenger fell onto a burner blast valve, which resulted in a short burst of flame emitted from the burners. The basket came to rest on its side, and the pilot and passengers exited the basket.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.