Cameron A 315 N12171
3 August 2020 · Jackson, Wyoming, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 3 August 2020 at about 14:13 local time, a Cameron A 315 registered N12171, operated by Wyoming Balloon Co, was involved in an accident near Jackson, Wyoming, United States. 19 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 8 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:13
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Jackson, Wyoming, United States
- Coordinates
- 43.5875, -110.8278
- Aircraft
- Cameron A 315
- Registration
- N12171
- Category
- Balloon
- Year built
- 2006
- Engines
- 8
- Operator
- Wyoming Balloon Co
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Teton Village → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dawn
- NTSB number
- WPR20CA267
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 10 |
Probable cause
The balloon pilot’s inability to maintain the proper descent rate during the balloon’s approach to landing during un-forecasted weather, which resulted in a hard landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The balloon pilot reported that while on final approach to land, about 20 ft above the ground, he saw two balloons he was following, both on their final approaches, suddenly reverse direction, by a strong wind from the southwest. Shortly after, the accident balloon lifted about 50 ft above the ground, followed by a downdraft. The pilot maneuvered the balloon to land and activated both burners to cushion the landing. When the descent rate was less than 500 ft per minute, he deactivated the burners and shouted to the passengers to “hold on” and pulled the quick vent deflate line before touchdown. The balloon landed hard, skidded on its side about 300 ft, and came to rest against an irrigation ditch embankment. The balloon sustained substantial damage to the envelope and a passenger sustained a serious injury. The balloon pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures to the balloon that would have precluded normal operation. A weather study revealed that the weather encountered by the balloon flight was not forecasted.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Oct 2020 | Bellanca 8KCAB | Rock Springs, Wyoming, United States | Robert Jean Otey | No injuries | - |
| 10 Aug 2020 | Aviat A-1C-200 | Grover, Wyoming, United States | Aviat Aircraft Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 25 Aug 2020 | Lake LA4 | Rawlins, Wyoming, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 25 May 2020 | Champion 7GCBC | Spotted Horse, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Mar 2020 | Piper PA22 | Pinedale, Wyoming, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 2020 | Kitfox KITFOX | Lander, Wyoming, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |