Aerostar RX 8 N5315M

Summary

On 9 October 2007 at about 15:20 local time, a Aerostar RX 8 registered N5315M was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 October 2007 at 15:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

35.2167, -107.2500

Aircraft

Aerostar RX 8

Registration

N5315M

Category

Balloon

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Albuquerque → Albuquerque

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN08LA007

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inability to maintain aircraft control due to high winds, resulting in the aircraft coming in contact with an arroyo and a wall in a residential area.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The balloon was participating in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The pilot said she flew between 200 and 400 feet agl (above ground level) for the first 15 minutes, then flew between 1,000 and 1,500 feet for about an hour. She said low level winds were from the south, and she flew "far enough north to have open landing areas to the south." She then descended to 200 feet and flew south. The wind speed was between 5 and 10 knots. She selected a "short open area" but there was a fence and the winds were "too fast" to land. "At 100 feet agl, had false heavy" (sic) and wind velocity had increased 15 to 20 knots. The balloon landed on the north side of 100 acres of desert. bounced, and was dragged 150 to 200 feet. The pilot noted that "at the time of launch, the winds were calm but that condition changed unexpectedly. I took the best landing site available at the time." Beyond that point was a congested housing area, a mesa, and a national park. The latter had an uneven lava bed with ravines, trees, and boulders and probably high wind velocities. The pilot told the police department that she had flown south, then west. On approach to the selected landing spot, a gust of wind caused the balloon to drift in the wrong direction and it struck a wall in a residential area. The police report indicated the pilot had fractured her pelvic bone.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.