Cameron Balloons US V 77 accident near Rio Rancho, New Mexico, October 9, 2013
On October 9, 2013 at about 2:45 pm local time, a 1990 Cameron Balloons US V 77, registered N9528A, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Rio Rancho, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from power lines on approach to land, resulting in a collision with the wires, a spark, and a subsequent explosion and on-board fire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 2013 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Rio Rancho, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cameron Balloons US V 77 NO SERIES, built 1990 · all V 77s on the register
- Registration
- N9528A · no longer on the register · serial 5649
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and passenger departed on a balloon flight and had been airborne for a little over an hour before making three attempts to land. The wind was too strong on the first attempt; on the next attempt, they found themselves over a residential subdivision that prevented them from landing. The pilot then saw an open area on the other side of a street with power lines running along it. His intent was to get over the power lines and then drop the balloon down to the ground. They were over the road and a couple of feet over the power lines when the balloon dropped and struck the power lines. The pilot engaged the burner and the basket slid off the first two wires, but when the basket touched the third wire there was an electrical short and then an explosion. The pilot reported the explosion was the last thing he remembered until he found himself on the ground with the envelope going down.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach defining event
- Explosion (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 290 hours in all; 105 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 220 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 30, 2013
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Fire in flight and on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Albuquerque NM at 1:30 pm
- Destination: Rio Rancho NM
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 2:52 pm from ABQ, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on December 16, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum of Conversation, Mr. Mark Kilgore | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Information | PDF, 6 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.