Cameron Balloons US A-180 accident near Questa, New Mexico, July 25, 2014
On July 25, 2014 at about 1:40 pm local time, a 2011 Cameron Balloons US A-180, registered N65059, was involved in an accident during approach near Questa, New Mexico. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured; 7 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The hard landing after both burner pilot lights extinguished during the landing approach. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inability to relight the burner pilot lights.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2014 · about 1:40 pm local time
- Place
- Questa, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured; 7 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cameron Balloons US A-180, built 2011 · all A-180s on the register
- Registration
- N65059 · no longer on the register · serial 6624
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was preparing to land the commercial balloon and was switching the burners' propane tanks when both burner pilot lights extinguished. The pilot tried to reignite a pilot light with the piezoelectric igniter, but, when he pushed the igniter button to generate a spark, it got stuck in the igniter sleeve. The pilot then took out his strikers to manually relight a pilot light, but he still could not relight it. At this point, the balloon was about 150 ft above the ground, and the pilot prepared the passengers for a hard landing. The balloon struck the ground hard, skipped, and traveled about 30 ft before coming to rest. Two passengers sustained leg fractures; the balloon was not damaged. The piezoelectric igniter had an adjustment screw that, if tightened too firmly, can cause the button to stick in the igniter sleeve when actuated. It is likely that the piezoelectric igniter was tightened too firmly, which caused the igniter sleeve to get stuck when the pilot attempted to use it to relight a pilot light. It is also likely that, during the pilot's attempts to manually relight a pilot light with the striker, he positioned the burner such that air moved over it, which prevented the pilot light from relighting.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during approach 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
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › (general) › (general) › Not specified
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 1,399 hours in all; 729 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 1,355 as pilot in command; 31 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 12, 2013
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 481 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 10, 2014; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: Taos NM at 1:00 pm
- Destination: Taos NM
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.36 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from SKX, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 6 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN14LA397.