Arbc INC 69X accident near Longview, Texas, July 22, 2015
On July 22, 2015 at about 1:30 pm local time, a 2012 Arbc INC 69X (balloon), registered N76627, was involved in an accident during landing near Longview, Texas. It was an air show or air race flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The balloon’s hard landing due to a high surface wind and downdraft, which resulted in the pilot sustaining a serious leg injury.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 2015 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Longview, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Arbc INC 69X, built 2012
- Registration
- N76627 · registry record · serial 5500
- 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 reported that, as the balloon descended, the wind speed increased. He aborted the first landing to avoid power lines and chose to land in an adjacent field. During the landing, the balloon encountered a downdraft after the pilot turned off the burners and pulled the parachute top to release hot air. The balloon impacted the ground hard, dragged the basket a short distance, and then stopped. The balloon was not damaged, but the pilot's left hip and ankle were broken during the hard landing. An examination of the balloon and its systems revealed no anomalies.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › High wind › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › High wind › Ability to respond/compensate
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › (general) › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › (general) › Attain/maintain not possible
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 1,306 hours in all; 72 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 14.1 in the last 30 days; 1,270 as pilot in command; 76 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 3, 2015
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: none
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 72 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, May 4, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,275 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: Kilgore TX at 12:10 pm
- Destination: Longview TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 1:33 pm from KGGG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on November 2, 2015. 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, 11 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.