Cameron A 250 N2025J

Summary

On 3 August 2018 at about 14:15 local time, a Cameron A 250 registered N2025J, operated by Colorado Hot Air Balloon Rides, was involved in an accident near Hartsel, Colorado, United States. 11 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 August 2018 at 14:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Hartsel, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.0058, -105.5769

Aircraft

Cameron A 250

Registration

N2025J

Category

Balloon

Year built

2009

Operator

Colorado Hot Air Balloon Rides

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hartsel → Hartsel

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA309

1 person died.

The passengers’ fall from the basket after landing when the basket tipped over.  

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The balloon departed on a revenue sightseeing flight with two commercial pilots and nine passengers. Due to the moderate 7- to 8-mph wind, the pilots briefed the passengers to crouch down with their knees bent, hold on to two straps on the basket, face toward the direction of travel, and brace against the side wall for landing. The passengers understood that the basket was expected to tip over after landing. During the landing, the basket touched down in a flat field, bounced several times, and dragged on the ground about 40 to 50 ft. The basket came to a complete stop while upright. During the balloon deflation, the basket tipped over hard, and two passengers fell out of the upper back left compartment; one passenger landed on top of the other. The 65-year-old passenger was seriously injured, while the 73-year-old passenger died as a result of her injuries. Based on the circumstances and the two passengers' position in the upper compartment of the basket, it is likely that they were not actively hanging on to the basket when it tipped over. Although the balloon manual and the basket manual differ in their guidance on which way the passengers should face during landing, it is unlikely that the injured passengers facing a different direction would have prevented them from falling out of the basket.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.