Aerostar S49A accident near Flandreau, South Dakota, December 31, 1999
On December 31, 1999 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Aerostar S49A (balloon), registered N6316U, was destroyed in an accident near Flandreau, South Dakota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and the burner becoming disconnected from the balloon's frame. A contributing factor was the high wind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 1999 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Flandreau, South Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerostar S49A
- Registration
- N6316U · no longer on the register · serial 249A-3001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was coming in to land in a field 6 miles south of Flandreau, South Dakota. During the landing attempt, a wind gust collapsed the front of the envelope. The pilot said at that point she knew she was committed to that field and 'that it would be a rough, high-wind landing.' The balloon touched down and 'rebounded.' The pilot pulled in the redline to deflate the envelope. When the balloon touched down the second time, it began to drag along the ground. 'As I was reaching up with my right hand to continue pulling the redline in more, I saw the burner come completely off it's mounting and fall down toward the basket.' The pilot said that there was a flame coming from the burner. 'I continued dragging for 3 or 4 seconds trying to stop the balloon and batting the burner away. It slowed enough so I could get out and I saw the skirt, the lower edge of the envelope and the upper cordura was burned/burning.' Examination of the balloon revealed no anomalies. The Aviation Routine Weather Report for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 25 miles from the accident site at 188 degrees, 11 minutes after the accident, was clear skies, 10 miles visibility, and winds 150 degrees at 12 knots. A witness who was flying at the same time in another balloon, said that when he was landing 'the ground wind speed quickly increased on one approach to near 15 miles per hour.' When the witness did land his balloon, 'the winds were back in the vicinity of 10 miles per hour.'
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 59 hours in all; 47 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 40 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 291 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 8, 1999; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Brandon SD at 2:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from FSD, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.