Adams Balloons Llc A55S N866RA accident near Safford, Arizona

Probable cause

The pilot’s decision to continue the balloon’s fast approach to an unsuitable confined landing site, which resulted in a collision with powerline wires.

NTSB analysis

The pilot stated that shortly after takeoff as they climbed to a higher altitude, she noticed the burners sounded different and they didn’t seem to produce as much power as they usually did, so she elected to perform an emergency landing. During the descent, the balloon descended below power lines, and the pilot applied maximum available power to avoid a collision with the power lines. The pilot then decreased the power to immediately land in a nearby parking lot. The balloon touched down, bounced and the envelope contacted power lines that bordered the fence enclosed parking lot. Just beyond the parking lot where the pilot landed was open uninhabited land.

Postaccident examination of the accident balloon’s fuel supply system, ignition, burner, gages, and operational checks revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

The pilot was able to successfully add power to climb over the power lines as she approached her selected landing site, indicating that she still possessed control over the balloon’s descent rate. Despite still having climb capabilities, she elected to continue the approach to the confined area, which resulted in a collision with power lines. Review of the landing area indicated that there were miles of unobstructed hazard-free landing sites that would have been more suitable for the landing.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR22LA152 for the full record.