Aerostar S66A-3060 N7179Z
17 May 2003 · Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 17 May 2003 at about 13:40 local time, a Aerostar S66A-3060 registered N7179Z was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 6 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 13:40
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
- Nearest airport
- The Gravel Pit
- Coordinates
- 35.1389, -106.6194
- Aircraft
- Aerostar S66A-3060
- Registration
- N7179Z
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Albuquerque → Albuquerque
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN03LA081
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during a high wind landing, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing factors include the high wind and the berm.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that, at 100 feet above ground level, his GPS indicated a ground speed of 15 mph. As he was getting ready to land, he noticed that the GPS was indicating 18 mph. He briefed his passengers and prepared them for a "high wind" landing. As the balloon hit the ground, the GPS was indicating 12 mph. The pilot pulled the deflation vent and the balloon's envelope began to collapse. The balloon slid a few feet and the basket struck a 2 foot high berm. The basket tipped over and the balloon slid another 70 feet. The balloon was not damaged; however during the impact, one passenger injured her knee and a second passenger suffered a broken ankle.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jun 2003 | Cessna 182R | Hobbs, New Mexico, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2003 | Cessna R172E | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | Kirtland Flight Center | No injuries | - |
| 5 Nov 2003 | Maule M-7-235C | Truth or Conseq, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jun 2003 | Adams Balloon A55 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 24 Apr 2003 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Sedan, New Mexico, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 30 Nov 2003 | Cessna T210K | Deming, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |