Cameron Balloons Z-150 N151TS

Summary

On 12 September 2008 at about 11:30 local time, a Cameron Balloons Z-150 registered N151TS was involved in an accident near Sandown, New Hampshire, United States. 7 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 September 2008 at 11:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Sandown, New Hampshire, United States

Coordinates

42.9286, -71.1869

Aircraft

Cameron Balloons Z-150

Registration

N151TS

Category

Balloon

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Salem → Sandown

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA08CA193

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot’s encounter with high winds during approach. Contributing to the severity of injuries was the passengers' improper landing preparation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the balloon pilot, he had checked several weather sources and sent up several helium balloons to check local winds. The flight path and speed of the test balloons confirmed the weather forecasts obtained earlier, and he saw no significant winds either on the ground or aloft. Early in the flight, the pilot noticed that the winds aloft had increased significantly. He descended to assess how close to the ground the increased winds were, so that he could start to plan for a landing. As the balloon came close to treetop level, he experienced increased wind speeds, and decided to land as soon as possible. The pilot prepared the passengers for a fast, hard, drag landing. As he approached the landing site, he allowed the balloon basket to drag through the top of trees in an effort to reduce speed. The pilot estimated that they decreased their horizontal balloon speed by 50 percent. Once clear of the trees, and over the landing site, he vented the balloon to facilitate a fast descent into the field. He informed the passengers that they would have a very hard landing and warned them to get ready for impact. Two passengers had squatted in the balloon to avoid contact with the treetops, and never returned to the correct landing position, as previously instructed by the pilot. Those passengers sustained serious injuries during the hard landing. The reported wind at a nearby airport, about 30 minutes prior to the accident, was from 190 degrees at 5 knots. Examination of the balloon revealed minor damage to the basket and no preimpact structural or mechanical failures.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.