Cameron O-77 accident near North Omaha, Nebraska, September 27, 1992
On September 27, 1992 at about 1:15 pm local time, a Cameron O-77 (balloon), registered N9539G, was involved in an accident near North Omaha, Nebraska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S ABRUPT TOUCHDOWN DURING A BALLOON LANDING. A RELATED FACTOR IS THE UNSUITABLE TERRAIN SELECTED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 27, 1992 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- North Omaha, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cameron O-77
- Registration
- N9539G · registry record · serial 5585
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS LANDING THE BALLOON IN A CLEARING ON 'AN UPSLOPE OF A HILL.' HE STATED: 'I NOTIFIED MY PASSENGERS AND THEY PREPARED FOR THE LANDING. JUST PRIOR TO CONTACT I SHUT DOWN THE PILOT LIGHT AND INSTRUCTED MY PASSENGERS TO HANG ON. UPON GROUND CONTACT THE AIRCRAFT REBOUNDED A SHORT DISTANCE...THE PASSENGER IN THE BACK OF THE BASKET CAME FORWARD AT THE TIME OF FINAL GROUND CONTACT AND FELL ON THE LOWER LEG OF THE PASSENGER IN THE FRONT OF THE BASKET.' THE FRONT PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 470 hours in all; 192 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 87 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1992; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,540 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Omaha NE at 12:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 N9539G 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 CHI92LA293.