ARBC INC 69X
Longview, TX — July 22, 2015
Event Information
| Date | July 22, 2015 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| Location | Longview, TX |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 32.69111, -94.70556 |
| Highest Injury | SERS |
| NTSB Number | CEN15LA314 |
| Event ID | 20150723X50351 |
Aircraft
| Make | ARBC INC |
| Model | 69X |
| Registration # | N76627 |
| Category | BALL |
| FAR Part | 091 |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 1 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 0 |
| Total Injured | 1 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The balloon’s hard landing due to a high surface wind and downdraft, which resulted in the pilot sustaining a serious leg injury.
Full Narrative
On July 22, 2015, about 00830 central daylight time, an ARBC Inc. 69X balloon, N76627, tipped over while landing near Longview, Texas. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. The balloon was not damaged. The balloon was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a competition flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The local flight departed about 0710.
The pilot reported that after completing all three competition tasks he started to look for a place to land. As he descended the wind speed increased and the first few fields were too small to land in with windy conditions. The pilot aborted the first landing to avoid powerlines and elected to land in an adjacent field.
The pilot reported that he encountered a downdraft after turning off his burners and pulling the parachute top to release hot air. He stated that the impact with the ground was hard and the balloon tipped over and stopped after dragging the basket a short distance. The balloon was not damaged but the pilot had serious injuries to his left leg during the hard landing.
The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the balloon that would have precluded normal operations.
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.