Ultramagic Sa Z-90 N290UM

Summary

On 4 May 2024 at about 01:30 local time, a Ultramagic Sa Z-90 registered N290UM was involved in an accident near Del Mar, California, United States. 2 people were on board and one died. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 May 2024 at 01:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Del Mar, California, United States

Coordinates

32.9640, -117.2365

Aircraft

Ultramagic Sa Z-90

Registration

N290UM

Category

Balloon

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Del Mar → San Diego

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR24LA142

1 person died.

The passenger’s intentional departure from the balloon in flight as an act of suicide.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight was reported to be a celebration of life sunset flight with one passenger. Shortly after takeoff, about 1,300 ft mean sea level, the passenger asked the pilot for privacy for ceremonial reasons, and the pilot turned his back. About 20 to 30 seconds later, the pilot felt a shift in the basket and realized that the passenger had jumped from the balloon. The pilot stated he observed the passenger descending toward the ground. A postmortem report issued by the medical examiner listed the passenger’s cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries, and the manner of death as suspected suicide.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.