Kubicek BB70Z accident near Windsor, Colorado, June 24, 2013
On June 24, 2013 at about 2:40 pm local time, a Kubicek BB70Z (balloon), registered N1235J, suffered minor damage in an accident during landing near Windsor, Colorado (Ft Collins-Loveland Municipal airport). It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 7 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots’ encounter with increased wind, which resulted in a hard and fast landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2013 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Windsor, Colorado · Ft Collins-Loveland Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 7 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Kubicek BB70Z
- Registration
- N1235J · no longer on the register · serial 906
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said there had been very little wind when he had launched in his balloon earlier and his flight at about 1,000 feet above ground level (agl) was normal. He reported that there was very little wind until he descended to about 300 feet agl when the wind began to interfere. The pilot advised all passengers to lower themselves inside the basket and to brace themselves for a hard landing. The passengers advised that the balloon basket hit the ground “very hard” and bounced several times before hitting the slope side of a dirt hill where the basket flipped onto its side and was dragged in the dirt in that tipped-over position. The total distance from first impact to the balloon's final resting location was estimated at about 1,300 feet. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the main basket, the basket partitions, and substantial damage to the burner cage.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › High wind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: December 1, 2012
- Medical certificate: None
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 62 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 4, 2013; 18 hours since
- Seats: 12
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Longmont Hot Air Balloon LLC
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Longmont CO
- Destination: NONE Windsor CO
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 16 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 2:35 pm from KFNL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 7 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on July 26, 2013. 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 | Summary of Findings by Iic | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.