Cameron A 250 N2025J accident near Hartsel, Colorado

Probable cause

The passengers’ fall from the basket after landing when the basket tipped over.

NTSB analysis

The balloon departed on a revenue sightseeing flight with two commercial pilots and nine passengers. Due to the moderate 7- to 8-mph wind, the pilots briefed the passengers to crouch down with their knees bent, hold on to two straps on the basket, face toward the direction of travel, and brace against the side wall for landing. The passengers understood that the basket was expected to tip over after landing. During the landing, the basket touched down in a flat field, bounced several times, and dragged on the ground about 40 to 50 ft. The basket came to a complete stop while upright. During the balloon deflation, the basket tipped over hard, and two passengers fell out of the upper back left compartment; one passenger landed on top of the other. The 65-year-old passenger was seriously injured, while the 73-year-old passenger died as a result of her injuries. Based on the circumstances and the two passengers' position in the upper compartment of the basket, it is likely that they were not actively hanging on to the basket when it tipped over.

Although the balloon manual and the basket manual differ in their guidance on which way the passengers should face during landing, it is unlikely that the injured passengers facing a different direction would have prevented them from falling out of the basket.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN18LA309 for the full record.