Cameron Balloons Z-90 accident near Celina, Texas, March 20, 2021
On March 20, 2021 at about 2:25 pm local time, a 2003 Cameron Balloons Z-90, registered N4505B, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Celina, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The malfunction of the balloon’s envelope venting system during landing in high wind, which resulted in the balloon being dragged along the ground, substantially damaging the envelope.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 2021 · about 2:25 pm local time · cases in 2021
- Place
- Celina, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cameron Balloons Z-90 NO SERIES, built 2003 · all Z-90s on the register
- Registration
- N4505B · registry record · serial 6317
- Damage
- Substantial 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 setting up to land in a field following a 1.3 hour flight to reestablish his solo currency, he noted on final approach that the venting system, used to release air from the envelope for descents, landings, and deflation, had malfunctioned. The pilot attempted to correct the problem while continuing to land. Immediately on landing, the balloon began to spinnaker and drag along the ground. The balloon finally came to a stop beneath powerlines adjacent to a road. The balloon sustained substantial damage to several lower panels of the envelope between the skirt and the equator. The pilot reported that not all the Velcro tabs to the parachute top of the venting system may have properly released prior to launch, which he believed was responsible for the outcome he experienced. The pilot also reported the wind was higher at the time of the accident than it was at the time of the launch, which was 5 knots.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › (general) › (general) › Malfunction other cases naming the other and general
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Variable wind › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 939 hours in all; 939 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 11, 2020
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 349 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 13, 2021; 1 hours since
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: TKI Mckinney TX at 1:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.36 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from KTKI, 12 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KTKI 201353Z 12005KT 10SM CLR 09/05 A3036 RMK AO2 SLP289 T00890050
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on July 14, 2021. 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 | NTSB Form 6120 Pilot Operator Report CEN21LA164 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array CEN21LA164 | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Letter to NTSB | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N4505B on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cameron Balloons Z-90 69 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cameron Balloons 208 aircraft on the register
- Mckinney Ntl Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,063 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,976 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN21LA164.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.