Lindstrand Balloons 210S N608RR

Summary

On 22 September 2012 at about 13:54 local time, a Lindstrand Balloons 210S registered N608RR, operated by Rainbow Ryders Inc, was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 9 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 September 2012 at 13:54

Classification

Accident

Location

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

35.1694, -106.6561

Aircraft

Lindstrand Balloons 210S

Registration

N608RR

Category

Balloon

Operator

Rainbow Ryders Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Albuquerque → Albuquerque

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN12LA659

1 person was seriously injured.

The failure of the balloon envelope parachute vent to properly seat, which resulted in the uncontrolled descent of the balloon. The reason the vent did not properly seat during the accident flight could not be determined because the vent operated properly during examination and testing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Before the flight, the pilot had difficulty getting the balloon envelope parachute vent to seat properly. Once the passengers were loaded, the vent seated, likely due to the weight of the occupants. During the flight, the pilot momentarily opened the parachute vent to allow the balloon to descend to a more desirable altitude. The pilot stated that the vent once again did not seat properly, leaving a 12- to 20-inch gap between the vent and the balloon envelope. He added heat to the envelope in an attempt to reseat the vent, but it did not reseat. The balloon continued to descend and contacted the terrain, seriously injuring one of the eight passengers. A postaccident examination and testing of the vent system did not reveal any reason why the parachute vent would not have operated normally during the flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.