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 (flare/touchdown) 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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2010 · about 12:10 pm local time · cases in 2010
- 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 during takeoff/land during landing
- Loss of control in flight during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
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
1 document, released by the NTSB on July 23, 2010. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N60029 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N60029 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Lindstrand Balloons 77 53 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Lindstrand Balloons 252 aircraft on the register
- Accidents and incidents in Arkansas 1,582 since 1982 · 177 in the last ten years
- Arkansas 3,491 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N60029 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN10CA357.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.