Arbc Inc Dba Lindstrand 77A accident near Rio Rancho, NM
On January 23, 2021, an Arbc Inc Dba Lindstrand 77A (balloon) was involved in an accident near Rio Rancho, NM. 1 person died.
- Date
- January 23, 2021
- Place
- Rio Rancho, NM
- Aircraft
- Arbc Inc Dba Lindstrand 77A · Balloon
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- —
- Position
- 35.368°N, 106.673°W
- NTSB ID
- 20210415102921
Official records · WPR21LA158
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On January 23, 2021, about 0908 mountain standard time, an ARBC Inc dba Lindstrand 77A balloon, N477LB, was involved in an accident near Rio Rancho, New Mexico, when the passenger sustained fatal injuries following a hard landing. The pilot was not injured, and the balloon was not damaged. The balloon was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that, before the accident flight, she performed three takeoffs and landings for currency. The passenger then boarded the hot air balloon and was briefed by the pilot. Following an uneventful flight, the pilot briefed the passenger for landing, which included instructions to “secure himself down in the basket, holding on in 2 places.” The terrain had ravines, gullies, bushes, and rocks. The pilot stated that during the landing descent, there was a bush that she selected to intentionally hit to slow the balloons ground speed down. The balloon brushed the vegetation, continued to descend, and landed hard. After the hard landing, the balloon became airborne and turned with the basket at a slight angle when the passenger “slid out the side of the basket,” about 5 ft above ground level. The pilot landed the balloon uneventfully and stated that she was met by the passenger shortly after she had secured the balloon. The pilot and passenger hiked across a ravine to a nearby ridge, at which point the pilot was able to contact her crew with the location of the balloon. During this time, passenger was alert; however, he wanted to sit down to rest. The pilot stated that 911 was called about a
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain the proper descent rate during the balloon’s approach to landing, which resulted in a hard landing and fatal passenger injury when the passenger fell out of the basket.
More accidents in NM
- Gates Learjet 25D, Sep 5, 1993
- Piper PA-32-300, Dec 26, 1982
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-30, Jun 25, 1992
- Cessna 421C, Feb 11, 1985
- Beech 58, Mar 26, 1982
Browse: New Mexico
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
