Aerostar RX 8 N5315M
6 October 2025 · Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 6 October 2025 at about 15:10 local time, a Aerostar RX 8 registered N5315M was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. 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 15:10
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.0733, -106.7106
- Aircraft
- Aerostar RX 8
- Registration
- N5315M
- Category
- Balloon
- Year built
- 2002
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Albuquerque → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR26LA021
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a power line during a descent for landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot of the balloon reported that, during the approach to the landing area, the balloon descended faster than anticipated while crossing over powerlines. Subsequently, the balloon collided with one of powerlines, which resulted in substantial damage to one of the frame’s aluminum upright tubes. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Aerostar RX-8 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jul 2023 | Aerostar RX 8 | Canandaigua, New York, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Nov 2023 | Aerostar RX 8 | Page, Arizona, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 2022 | Aerostar RX 8 | Hot Springs, South Dakota, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 29 Nov 2020 | Aerostar RX 8 | St. George, Utah, United States | Scott J. Gneiting | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Aug 2020 | Aerostar RX 8 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | Ken Tuley | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Oct 2016 | Aerostar RX-8 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jul 2025 | Cessna 182B | Belen, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Nov 2025 | Cameron Balloons Us A-225 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | Rainbow Ryders Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Robinson R44 II | Hobbs, New Mexico, United States | Flap Air Helicopter Service Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Oct 2025 | Glasflugel STD LIBELLE 201B | Moriarty, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Sep 2025 | Piper PA-23-160 | Santa Teresa, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Sep 2025 | Bellanca 17-30A | Moriarty, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |