TUCSON, AZ, USA
N767AA
AEROSTAR RAVEN 560
THE PILOT OF A AEROSTAR RAVEN 560 (BALLOON), DURING THE DESCENT FOR LANDING ENCOUNTERED A DOWN DRAFT WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING NEAR TUCSON, ARIZONA. THE BALLOON COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE FINALLY COMING TO REST. THE PILOT SAID THAT, 'I WAS PREPARING FOR LANDING AND AT APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL WHEN I ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE DOWN DRAFT OF APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET PER MINUTE. I INSTRUCTED THE PASSENGERS TO PREPARE FOR A FIRM LANDING. AFTER HITTING THE GROUND, DRAGGING APPROXIMATELY 10 YARDS AND GOING AIRBORNE, WE RETURNED AND STRUCK THE GROUND AGAIN'...ONE ELEVEN YEAR OLD PASSENGER JUMPED OUT OF THE BALLOON WHILE WE WERE DRAGGING ACROSS THE DESERT'...SHE [THIS PASSENGER] SUFFERED A BROKEN ARM UPON HITTING THE GROUND...' THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE BALLOON PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
BALLOON ENTERED INTO A SEVERE DOWN DRAFT WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING DUE TO INADEQUATE PREPARATION AND COMPENSATION FOR THE CONDITIONS BY THE BALLOON PILOT.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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