Head AX9-118 N2027S
9 August 2019 · Galt, California, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 9 August 2019 at about 15:45 local time, a Head AX9-118 registered N2027S was involved in an accident near Galt, California, United States. One person was 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.
The record
- Date
- at 15:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Galt, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 38.2581, -121.3750
- Aircraft
- Head AX9-118
- Registration
- N2027S
- Category
- Balloon
- Year built
- 2013
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR19LA228
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
A loss of control following an adverse wind encounter.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was giving rides during a balloon festival while the balloon remained tethered to three cars. The wind increased, and the pilot decided to stop performing flights. As he was in the process of deflating the envelope, a wind gust caused the balloon to ascend rapidly. The ground crew let go of the ropes, and the balloon ascended to the end of the tethers. One of the eye bolt attachments from the basket to the rope broke, allowing the rope to come loose, followed by the failure of a second eye bolt attachment, which allowed the second rope to come loose. At that point, the ground crew was attempting to hold the third rope when the pilot told them to cut it loose. The pilot applied the burner to heat the envelope and rise above powerlines; however, as the crew cut the remaining rope, the basket twisted, which closed the throat of the envelope. The balloon continued toward a nearby open field, where the pilot chose to land. The pilot stated that, with the envelope only partially inflated, the descent was fast and the balloon landed hard. He turned off the burners and the balloon envelope deflated onto its side.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Head AX9 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Aug 2015 | Head AX9 118 | New Holland, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Aug 2019 | Wheeler EXPRESS SERIES 2000 | Camarillo, California, United States | N43FD Airplane LLC. | Fatal | 2 |
| 15 Feb 2019 | Cessna 402 | Montague, California, United States | Redding Aero Enterprises Inc | No injuries | - |
| 6 Aug 2019 | Boeing 737 | SFO International Airport, California, United States | United Air Lines Inc | No injuries | - |
| 25 Oct 2019 | Piper PA28R | Shelter Cove, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 14 Mar 2019 | North American T28 | Compton, California, United States | Tomorrows Aeronautical Museum | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 May 2019 | Grumman G164 | Pleasant Grove, California, United States | Moe's Crop Dusting Service Inc. | Fatal | 2 |