Head Balloons INC AX8-88 accident near Ft. Wayne, Indiana, September 12, 2010
On September 12, 2010 at about 11:40 pm local time, a Head Balloons INC AX8-88, registered N2064W, was involved in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Ft. Wayne, Indiana. It was an other work-use 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 selection of unsuitable terrain for the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 2010 · about 11:40 pm local time
- Place
- Ft. Wayne, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Head Balloons INC AX8-88 · all AX8-88s on the register
- Registration
- N2064W · registry record · serial 340
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The balloon was airborne for approximately 30 minutes prior to the pilot setting up for a landing in a grassy area alongside a road. The pilot reported that the ground crew informed him that there was a ditch running parallel to the side of the road. The balloon touched down in a bean field, about 20 feet from the grass area, and the ground crew grabbed the basket as it moved into the grass. The ground crew was not able to stop the basket and it traveled into the 10-foot deep ditch. The balloon came to rest at the bottom of the ditch with the ground crew still hanging on. One of the two passengers on board suffered a fractured leg. The injured passenger stated that she thought that either the other passenger or the pilot hit her leg during the landing. There was no damage to the balloon envelope or basket.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 615 hours in all; 615 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 607 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 7, 2010
- Medical certificate: None
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 206 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 22, 2010
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Windswept Aeronauts INC
The flight
- Departed from: Ft. Wayne IN
- Destination: Ft. Wayne IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 pm from FWA, 16 miles away
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.
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.