National Ballooning LTD 858 accident near Pierce, Nebraska, June 17, 2012
On June 17, 2012 at about 12:15 pm local time, a National Ballooning LTD 858, registered N9005E, was involved in an accident during landing near Pierce, Nebraska. It was an air show or air race 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 balloon pilot’s encounter with increased wind during landing, which resulted in a hard landing and a passenger’s injury.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 2012 · about 12:15 pm local time
- Place
- Pierce, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- National Ballooning LTD 858 · all 858s on the register
- Registration
- N9005E · registry record · serial 146
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Air show or air race flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was participating with about eight other balloons in an early morning mass ascension. After about 45 minutes of flight, the pilot observed that the wind had increased and determined that a “high-wind landing” would be necessary. His two passengers had not experienced a balloon flight before, and the pilot instructed them that they should hold on tightly and face forward, with their feet pointed straight ahead and their knees bent to absorb the shock of the landing. He also advised them that the basket would likely tip over during the landing. The balloon initially touched down hard in a flat, harvested field, then bounced and touched down a second time. The pilot reported his ground speed was about 13 to 14 mph. During the second touchdown the basket tipped over and was dragged about 100 feet, coming to rest on its side in an adjacent cornfield. The pilot deflated the balloon envelope and the three occupants began to climb out of the basket. The 70-year old passenger was seriously injured during the landing. The balloon was not damaged. The pilot said that he thought the passenger’s injury occurred because she did not have her feet pointed straight ahead during the landing.
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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › High wind › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Following instructions › Passenger
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 219 hours in all; 210 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 5 as pilot in command; 5 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 3, 2012
- Medical certificate: None
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 210 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 12, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 1,430 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: KOFK Norfolk NE at 11:30 am
- Destination: Pierce NE
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 am from KOFK, 14 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.