Lindstrand Balloons 77A accident near Harrison, Arkansas, June 27, 2010
On June 27, 2010 at about 12:10 pm local time, a Lindstrand Balloons 77A, registered N60029, suffered minor damage in an accident during landing near Harrison, Arkansas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the balloon during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2010 · about 12:10 pm local time
- Place
- Harrison, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lindstrand Balloons 77A · all 77As on the register
- Registration
- N60029 · registry record · serial 5128
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While landing in a field, the wind shifted and the hot air balloon impacted a tree. The balloon then ascended approximately 50 feet back into the air. The pilot cautioned his two passengers to brace for a hard landing. The balloon descended rapidly and hit the ground hard. The basket rolled on its side and one of the passengers fell out. The passenger impacted the ground face first, breaking her nose and cheek bone. The balloon again lifted off the ground before settling back for its final landing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact anomalies with the balloon.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 2,455 hours in all; 830 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 2,311 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 10, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 159 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 19, 2009
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Mills & Daughters INC
The flight
- Departed from: Ponca AR at 11:15 am
- Destination: Harrison AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
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 N60029 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN10CA357.