Cameron Balloons Us Z-225 accident near Chester Springs, PA
On April 21, 2013, a Cameron Balloons Us Z-225 (balloon) was involved in an accident near Chester Springs, PA. 3 people were seriously injured. Damage to the aircraft: minor.
- Date
- April 21, 2013
- Place
- Chester Springs, PA
- Aircraft
- Cameron Balloons Us Z-225 · Balloon
- Injuries
- 0 fatal, 3 serious, 7 minor
- Damage
- Minor
- Position
- 40.096°N, 75.655°W
- NTSB ID
- 20130423X42801
Official records · ERA13LA212
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On April 21, 2013, about 0735 eastern daylight time, a Cameron Balloons US Z-225, N65625, operated by U.S. Hot Air Balloon Team, sustained minor damage during a collision with trees and hard landing near a residence in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. The commercial pilot and six passengers incurred minor injuries, while three passengers were seriously injured and one passenger was not injured. The local sightseeing flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Pottstown Municipal Airport (N47), Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about 0635. The pilot reported that he obtained a weather briefing prior to the accident flight, which departed about 30 minutes behind schedule. The departure and flight were uneventful; however, as he was preparing to land, the wind increased. The pilot attempted to land on a mowed lawn, but the balloon contacted trees just prior to the lawn. As the balloon touched down on the lawn, the gondola tipped on its side and a propane flash occurred. Several of the passengers reported that the flight departed about 30 to 60 minutes late due to a dead battery in one of the supporting ground vehicles. One passenger added that the pilot was in a hurry to takeoff as he was concerned about the increase in wind speed as the morning progressed. Two of the passengers stated that the pilot mentioned it was weird that they were the only balloon flying that morning. After flying for approximately 1 hour, the pilot wanted to land on asphalt
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to extinguish the burner pilot lights prior to a hard landing in windy conditions.
More accidents in PA
- Boeing B-737-300, Sep 8, 1994
- Boeing 757, Sep 11, 2001
- British Aerospace J-3101, May 21, 2000
- Bell UH-1N, May 29, 2008
- Beech A36, Jul 30, 1989
Browse: Pennsylvania
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
