Cameron Z90 accident near Morrill, Nebraska, September 4, 2016
On September 4, 2016 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 2012 Cameron Z90 (balloon), registered N982ZS, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Morrill, Nebraska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper inflight fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and an inability to avoid contact with power lines.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 2016 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Morrill, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cameron Z90, built 2012
- Registration
- N982ZS · registry record · serial 6198
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The balloon was participating in a festival, and departed from a grass field with the private pilot and two passengers on board. The balloon climbed to 1,100 ft above ground level and drifted west. The pilot reported that, as the balloon approached a set of power lines, the wind diminished and the balloon became stationary. The pilot changed altitude several times in an attempt to find wind velocity and direction that would move the balloon away from the lines; however, as he again engaged the burners and attempted to climb, the burner system ran out of fuel. The balloon descended, and one of the metal carabiners that attached the basket to the envelope struck a power line, resulting in a spark. The pilot pulled the deflation valve and immediately descended the balloon to the ground. A postaccident examination of the balloon showed impact and thermal arcing damage to the carabiner. Two of the envelope panels exhibited thermal damage, and the envelope temperature sensor wire, which runs from the top of the envelope to the instruments in the basket, was burnt in half. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the balloon.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during approach defining event
- Miscellaneous/other during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring equip/instruments › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 96 hours in all; 96 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 403 hours
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: Mitchell NE at 1:26 pm
- Destination: Morrill NE
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from BFF, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on March 29, 2017. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather History, Scottsbluff, Nebraska | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Scotts Bluff County Sheriff Incident Report | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Scotts Bluff County Sheriff's Office Press Release | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | E-mail FAA Inspector's Balloon Examination | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Balloon Accident Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 7 | E-mail, Aviation Engineering Assessment of Balloon Damage | PDF, 2 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.