Aerostar SP-1 N87SB
10 October 2004 · Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 10 October 2004 at about 14:25 local time, a Aerostar SP-1 registered N87SB was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:25
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.0400, -106.6092
- Aircraft
- Aerostar SP-1
- Registration
- N87SB
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Albuquerque → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN05CA006
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the radio tower. Contributing factors were the pilot's improper compensation for the variable wind conditions.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Prior to launching the balloon, the pilot received a briefing which included weather information. After departure, the pilot flew south for approximately 20 minutes, climbed the balloon to 1,500 feet agl, and then flew to the north for 20 to 30 minutes. The balloon encountered a "gentle" breeze from the east, and the pilot decended the balloon to 300 feet agl, to find a safe landing area. The balloon encountered a breeze from the west which directed the balloon towards the original departure point. The pilot reported, "Suddenly, a strong gust from the east pushed [the balloon] west...toward the radio towers." The pilot searched for a landing area; however, several obstacles prevented an attempted landing. The pilot attempted to climb the balloon over the towers; however, the balloon impacted near the top of a 640-foot tall tower and came to rest entangled with the tower.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Dec 2004 | Piper PA-18-150 | Jal, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jan 2004 | Beechcraft A36 | Farmington, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 25 Mar 2004 | Mikoyan Mig MIG-17 | Truth or Conseq, New Mexico, United States | George L. Cambron | Fatal | 1 |
| 19 Dec 2004 | Daniels VANS RV-8 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Oct 2004 | Cessna 152 | Santa Teresa, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 May 2004 | Cessna 182E | Santa Teresa, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |