KUBICEK BB100Z
Hidden Valley Lake, CA — July 18, 2015
Event Information
| Date | July 18, 2015 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | GAA15LA195 |
| Event ID | 20150723X93831 |
| Location | Hidden Valley Lake, CA |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 38.80333, -122.57472 |
| Highest Injury | SERS |
Aircraft
| Make | KUBICEK |
| Model | BB100Z |
| Category | BALL |
| FAR Part | 091 |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 3 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 17 |
| Total Injured | 3 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The balloon pilot’s deliberate hard landing to avoid power lines and trees, which resulted in serious passenger injuries.
Full Narrative
On July 18, 2015, about 2045 Pacific date time, a Kubicek Hot Air Balloon, N938BS, impacted the ground hard after an approach to a dirt field at Hidden Valley Lake, California. The balloon was operated by Sonoma Thunder Inc., Sebastopol, California, as a Visual Flight Rules (VFR), revenue sightseeing flight under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, 16 passengers and the pilot were not injured, and three passengers were seriously injured. The balloon came to a stop after its second impact with the ground.
The pilot reported that he was landing the four burner hot air balloon in variable wind conditions, and he "deliberately made firm contact with the ground", in order to avoid power line wires and trees. During the landing, the basket impacted the ground, bounced approximately 20 feet in the air for a distance of 50 feet to the north-northwest, where it impacted again and remained in contact with the ground. The pilot stated, "When the balloon landed after the bounce, the passengers were caught off guard, and some of the passengers fell on top of each other". Three of the passengers were treated for serious injuries. The hot air balloon was not damaged.
The pilot opined, "Both of (the) contacts with the ground were hard but not abnormal and quite similar to deliberate or aggressive landings made during my past piloting experiences."
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.