Thunder and Colt 180A N784TC
9 October 2004 · Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 9 October 2004 at about 14:30 local time, a Thunder and Colt 180A registered N784TC was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 7 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 3 had minor injuries. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.1806, -106.6061
- Aircraft
- Thunder and Colt 180A
- Registration
- N784TC
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Albuquerque → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN05CA009
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
Probable cause
the balloon pilot's improper in-flight planning and failure to maintain aircraft control during descent into high winds resulting in a hard landing and subsequent serious injury to a passenger. Factors contributing to the accident were the high winds and excessive descent rate.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the pilot, during the hot air balloon's descent, he noticed that the surface winds had increased to approximately 18 knots. The pilot prepared his passengers for a high-wind landing. The balloon landed hard and bounced. One passenger, who remained in the balloon's basket, received a broken ankle. A second passenger, who remained in the basket, and two passengers who were ejected from the basket, each received minor cuts and scratches. The balloon was not damaged.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Thunder and Colt 180 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Mar 1996 | Thunder and Colt 180A | Hartsel, Colorado, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
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 | - |