Aerostar RX 8 N9184D

Summary

On 8 July 2023 at about 23:30 local time, a Aerostar RX 8 registered N9184D was involved in an accident near Canandaigua, New York, United States. 3 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 July 2023 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Canandaigua, New York, United States

Coordinates

42.8436, -77.3433

Aircraft

Aerostar RX 8

Registration

N9184D

Category

Balloon

Year built

1994

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Canandaigua → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA293

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain the proper descent rate during the balloon’s approach to landing, which resulted in a hard landing, the passenger’s leg hitting the gas tank, and serious injury.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Following an uneventful flight, the pilot descended the balloon at a steep angle into a field lined with trees. The pilot had briefed the passengers on the proper brace position before the flight and then again just before the landing. The basket touched down firmly, slid about 15 ft, and stopped upright. The passenger reported that the hard landing pushed her knee into the gas tank that she was standing next to. The passenger stated that after the first hard landing the balloon bounced again and then tipped over. Following the landing the passenger experienced pain in her leg. It was later determined the passenger had a broken left tibia. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the balloon that would have precluded normal operations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.