Ultramagic SA N-210 accident near Erie, Colorado, July 14, 2023
On July 14, 2023 at about 12:50 pm local time, a 2021 Ultramagic SA N-210 (balloon), registered N1958S, was involved in an accident during landing near Erie, Colorado. It was an air show or air race flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A hard landing due to the high wind conditions which resulted in two passengers sustaining serious injuries.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2023 · about 12:50 pm local time · cases in 2023
- Place
- Erie, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ultramagic SA N-210 NO SERIES, built 2021 · all N-210s on the register
- Registration
- N1958S · registry record · serial 210/149
- 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 while conducting a sightseeing flight, the surface wind increased earlier than forecast. He decided to terminate the flight and make a high wind landing. He briefed his passengers that they were going to land quicky and drag to a stop. He reminded them to stay in the basket and hold on. The balloon skipped twice after contacting the ground and then dragged to a stop. One of the passengers was ejected and her hair was caught under the basket. She sustained minor injuries. Two other passengers remained in the basket but sustained serious injurious. The pilot sustained minor injuries and the remaining three passengers were not injured. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation. Prior to the flight, the pilot obtained a weather brief, and the weather forecast reported a front to pass around 0800. A terminal aerodrome forecast (TAF) for Rocky Mountain Metro Airport (BJC) about 7 miles southwest of Erie, Colorado, forecast wind to be out of the northwest at 7 knots at 0300 and then shift to wind out of the northeast at 12 knots around 0800. When the pilot launched the balloon in Erie at 0638, the wind was calm. About half an hour after launch, reported surface wind in Erie was out of the northeast at 5 knots gusting 15 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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
- Other weather encounter during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › High wind › Effect on operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 2,680 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 6, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 132 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 31, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 4,268 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: None (none); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NA Erie CO at 12:38 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 5 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 7:15 am from KEIK, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KEIK 141315Z AUTO 02005G15KT 10SM CLR 18/09 A3009
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on November 9, 2023. 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 |
| 2 | Memorandum of Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Information | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Report | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N1958S on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Ultramagic Sa N-210 9 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: None · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Colorado 2,857 since 1982 · 381 in the last ten years
- Colorado 7,454 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN23LA325.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.