Aerostar S53A N9140F

Summary

On 7 October 2022 at about 16:21 local time, a Aerostar S53A registered N9140F was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 3 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

7 October 2022 at 16:21

Classification

Accident

Location

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

35.1816, -106.6522

Aircraft

Aerostar S53A

Registration

N9140F

Category

Balloon

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Albuquerque → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA006

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s inability to find a suitable landing area in a critical fuel situation and his decision to land on a highway, which resulted in the balloon impacting a bridge railing and terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was descending to land following a normal balloon flight. About 1,000 ft agl, the wind shifted direction, and the balloon began drifting over areas unsuitable for landing. The balloon had been airborne for an hour and a half, and fuel in the two tanks were about 20 and 35.9 percent respectively. With low fuel becoming critical and few options for a suitable landing site, the pilot elected to land the balloon on a highway. During the landing, the balloon struck a bridge railing and came down in a wooded area next to a river. One of the passengers on board sustained serious injuries. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloon that would have precluded normal operations. The pilot reported that he should have landed sooner.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.