Colt Balloons 160A N976TC accident near Clinton, Massachusetts

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate preflight and inflight planning and improper landing site selection and approach path, which resulted in the balloon contacting powerlines during landing. Contributing to the accident was the Federal Aviation Administration's inadequate oversight of balloon tour operators.

NTSB analysis

The commercial pilot departed on the hot air balloon tour flight with 6 passengers. After about 1 hour of flight, the balloon approached a town; with about 20 minutes of fuel remaining and about 30 minutes until sunset, the pilot descended the balloon to locate a landing site. He subsequently selected the yard of a residence near an intersection. The pilot initiated a descent, intermittently activating the balloon's burners to maintain the descent path. As the balloon approached the landing site, the envelope contacted powerlines, resulting in an electrical discharge, a shower of sparks, and portions of the powerlines falling onto the ground and a parked vehicle. The balloon sustained thermal damage to the basket, but continued a controlled descent to the intended landing site. Three of the passengers received serious electrical burns as a result of the balloon's contact with the powerlines. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further stated that he was unfamiliar with the area and was navigating with the aid of a map application on his cell phone.

Although the pilot reported that the overflight of the town was the result of a sudden shift in wind direction, given the balloon's departure location and the accident site, the balloon maintained a predominately northerly heading throughout the flight; there was no indication of any variation in wind direction. Based on this information, the pilot should have been able to predict the balloon's flight path with reasonable accuracy both before and after reaching the town and plan a landing site accordingly. Review of satellite imagery for the surrounding area showed several suitable landing fields about 1 ¼ nautical miles north of the accident site.

The accident was one of 4 events involving the accident pilot, all of which occurred during low-level operation or confined area landings and resulted in property damage. The events displayed a pattern of poor decision-making which was also exhibited during the accident flight with the pilot's decision to land in a populated area confined by powerlines. Given this history, it is possible that, with a more robust system of oversight and surveillance of balloon operators, the Federal Aviation Administration would have identified the accident pilot as a potential safety risk and taken steps to mitigate this risk.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA14LA347 for the full record.