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).
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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 October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 2017 · about 11:30 pm local time
- 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
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.
Other NTSB records under N30721 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 CEN17LA223.