Aerostar RAVEN 560 N767AA

Summary

On 19 February 1989 at about 15:40 local time, a Aerostar RAVEN 560 registered N767AA, operated by Nevada High, Inc., was involved in an accident near Tucson, Arizona, United States. 5 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

19 February 1989 at 15:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Tucson, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

32.1501, -110.9295

Aircraft

Aerostar RAVEN 560

Registration

N767AA

Category

Balloon

Operator

Nevada High, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX89LA131

1 person was seriously injured.

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.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.