WOODY CREEK, CO, USA
N748TC
Thunder and Colt 240A
WHILE ON A LOCAL AREA PASSSENGER SIGHT SEEING FLIGHT, THE BALLOON ENCOUNTERED HIGH WINDS. DURING THE ENSUING PRECAUTIONARY LANDING, THE BALLOON STRUCK A FENCE AND LANDED HARD THROWING THE PILOT FROM THE BASKET.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 8, 1993, at 0800 mountain daylight time, a Thunder & Colt 240A balloon, N748TC, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing in a field near Woody Creek, Colorado. The commercial pilot and three passengers received serious injuries, and seven passengers received minor injuries. The balloon was operating under 14 CFR Part 91, as a local sight seeing flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed from Snowmass Village, Colorado, at approximately 0630. The balloon, along with several other balloons, drifted in a westerly direction down the Aspen valley, to a point approximately five miles from the Aspen airport. According to the pilot, the wind changed rapidly in both direction and velocity to a westerly wind of about 30 knots, and the balloons drifted back towards the town of Aspen, Colorado, in an easterly direction. The pilot said that while attempting to land, the balloon struck a fence which caused her to be thrown from the basket. The deflation panel had been pulled and the balloon landed hard in an open field. Witnesses said the balloon skidded across the field after initial touch down and skid marks extended across the field for approximately 250 feet. Witnesses and the passengers on the balloon reported that the wind shifted from an easterly wind to a wind from the west accompanied by a squall line. According to these persons, the wind speed appeared to be between 20 and 30 miles per hour (mph). PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot received her commercial balloon rating through Unicorn, the operator of the accident balloon, on May 9, 1988, after receiving 34 hours of dual training and 3.5 hours of solo training. FAA records show her having 34 balloon flights at the time she received her rating. Details of the pilot's flight experience are part of this document and may be found under PERSONNEL INFORMATION. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION According to information provided by the FAA, this balloon has no maximum capacity regarding numbers of people aboard, but is limited by gross weight. As depicted in this document, that weight was 3,427 pounds. The actual weight of the passengers is not known; however, using a weight of 180 pounds for males, 140 pounds for females, and 70 pounds for children under 10 years of age, the gross weight aboard at the time of the accident would have been 1,630 pounds. The attached weight and balance sheet provides information that the operating empty weight of the balloon was 1,355 pounds, resulting in a gross weight of 2,985 pounds. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION Recorded weather at the Aspen airport at 0745 local time was 6,000 feet scattered, 7,000 feet broken, 20 miles visibility, temperature 50 degrees fahrenheit, dew point 44 degrees fahrenheit, wind missing, and an altimeter setting of 30.00 Hg. Witnesses at the airport reported the wind to be calm during the time period of the recorded weather. They also stated that wind at the airport often does not accurately reflect the winds in the center of the valley due to the airport being shielded by a hill. Weather given to the pilot during the weather brief by Grand Junction Flight Service, was reported on NTSB Form 6120.1/2 and is depicted in this document under METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION. Two video tapes were made during the event. One from the ground, and one from another balloon. These tapes provide a view of the changing weather conditions and provide a depiction of the wind in the area at the time of the accident. The tapes show the wind to be from the west with an increasing cloud cover. Witnesses on the ground estimated the wind speed to be approximately 30 miles per hour. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The balloon was not retained. Wreckage was removed by the operator the day following the accident.
AN INFLIGHT ENCOUNTER WITH HIGH WINDS WHICH REQUIRED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
Aviation Accidents App
In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports
