Aerostar RX-9 N91067

Summary

On 11 February 1999 at about 15:36 local time, a Aerostar RX-9 registered N91067 was involved in an accident near Peoria, Arizona, United States. 6 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured, 4 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 February 1999 at 15:36

Classification

Accident

Location

Peoria, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

33.5699, -112.2494

Aircraft

Aerostar RX-9

Registration

N91067

Category

Balloon

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Phoenix → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX99LA093

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's attempted flight in an area of forecasted high winds and his inadequate compensation for those wind conditions once encountered.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 53-minute-long sightseeing flight with fare-paying passengers was flown mostly over open fields. During the flight the pilot encountered surface wind which increased in speed from about 3 knots during takeoff to 15 knots during landing. Approaching the landing field adjacent to residential homes, the pilot encountered an estimated 20-knot wind gust. The envelope lost volume, and despite the pilot's effort to arrest the descent by firing both burners, the balloon rapidly lost altitude. The basket impacted the roofs of two houses, tipped 90 degrees sideways, and impacted the ground. The basket was dragged about 300 feet before finally coming to a stop. The pilot did not report experiencing any mechanical problems during the flight. About 3 hours prior to taking off the pilot received a weather briefing in which 27-knot winds were forecast as low as 1,500 feet above the ground. Additionally, a 10-knot surface wind was predicted in the general area, with temporary increases to 12 knots, and gusts to 20 knots within 30 minutes of the accident. Contrary to the balloon's FAA approved flight manual requirements, the passengers were not wearing protective helmets during the hard, high wind landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.