Head Balloons INC AX7 77B accident near Chatsworth, Illinois, June 8, 2017
On June 8, 2017 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Head Balloons INC AX7 77B, registered N30721, suffered minor damage in an accident during standing near Chatsworth, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The balloon’s encounter with unexpected wind gusts during inflation, which resulted in the balloon becoming prematurely airborne and subsequently the pilot being ejected from the basket and one passenger receiving serious injuries while attempting to egress from the pilotless balloon.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 2017 · about 11:30 pm local time · cases in 2017
- Place
- Chatsworth, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Head Balloons INC AX7 77B NO SERIES · all AX7 77Bs on the register
- Registration
- N30721 · no longer on the register · serial 279
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported that, while inflating the balloon with hot air in light wind, he heard people yelling and stopped burning; he turned and saw another balloon that was airborne and swinging around. The accident balloon then became airborne and started swinging around very rapidly. He looked down and realized that spectators on the ground were directly below his balloon, and he immediately started burning to add heat so that the balloon would rise and not descend on spectators. Due to concern for spectator safety, the pilot felt his only recourse was to attempt to climb the balloon to avoid injuring the spectators on the ground. However, the accident balloon did not rise and instead struck the ground twice, and the pilot was ejected from the basket. Due to the decreased weight after the pilot was ejected, the balloon rose and flew off with two passengers still in the basket and subsequently landed about 2 blocks away. The passengers jumped out, causing the balloon to rise again. The balloon descended a final time about 1/4 mile away in a field. A review of weather reports from a nearby airport revealed that the wind was 5 knots. A spectator on the ground provided videos of the balloons before and during the accident sequence. The spectator reported and the videos showed that the wind was calm, followed by gusts. Based on the available evidence, it is likely the accident resulted from unexpected wind gusts that led the balloon to prematurely become airborne.
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 standing
- Loss of control on ground during standing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 857 hours in all; 352 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: none
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 362.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 21, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: Chatsworth IL at 11:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 pm from PNT, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on March 21, 2018. 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 | Surface Weather Observations | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Ground Based Video Prior to Accident (Audio Edited) | video | View Download |
| 4 | Ground Based Video of Accident (Audio Edited) | video | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N30721 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N30721: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Head Balloons Inc AX7 56 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Accidents and incidents in Illinois 2,118 since 1982 · 251 in the last ten years
- Illinois 8,069 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N30721 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN17LA223.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.