Balloon Works AX-8 accident near Purcellville, Virginia, July 10, 1988
On July 10, 1988 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Balloon Works AX-8, registered N7108, suffered minor damage in an accident near Purcellville, Virginia. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 4 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT LANDED THE HOT AIR BALLOON AT AN EXCESSIVE DESCENT RATE WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING. WIND GUST ARE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 1988 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Purcellville, Virginia
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 4 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works AX-8
- Registration
- N7108 · no longer on the register · serial F8-105
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, A WIND GUST OCCURRED DURING LIFT OFF. A PASSENGER SAID THE BALLOON WENT LATERALLY ABOUT 50 TO 75 YDS WHERE IT STRUCK SEVERAL OBSTACLES; A FENCE, A UTILITY LINE, AND A TREE. THE PLT SAID HE CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF AND THE BALLOON EVENTUALLY BECAME AIRBORNE. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO THE PLT, THE WINDS BEGAN INCREASING SO HE DECIDED TO LAND. THE PLT SAID HE LANDED HARD AND THE FORCE EJECTED HIM AND A PAX FROM THE GONDOLA. AFTER THE PLT WAS EJECTED, THE BALLOON LIFTED OFF AGAIN WITH FOUR PASSENGERS ABOARD. THE PASSENGER SAID THE BALLOON LIFTED TO ABOUT 100 FT AGL WHEN HE HEARD THE PLT YELLING TO PULL THE VALVE LINE, WHICH HE DID. THE PASSENGER SAID THE BALLOON DESCENDED RAPIDLY AND LANDED HARD; THE BALLOON COLLAPSED ON THE GONDOLA.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 89 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 12, 1988; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,020 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: None T-3 (type not recorded); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ballon Unlimited CORP
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from IAD, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N7108 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.