Thunder And Colt 120A accident near Bloomington, Illinois, August 16, 1994
On August 16, 1994 at about 1:00 am local time, a Thunder And Colt 120A (balloon), registered N416TC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bloomington, Illinois. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the unforcast, unanticipated adverse wind conditions and thermal activity. A factor was the powerlines.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 1994 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Bloomington, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Thunder And Colt 120A
- Registration
- N416TC · registry record · serial 2187USA
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
IN HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT, THE PILOT REPORTED HE RECEIVED THOROUGH WEATHER INFORMATION AND THE FIRST 20 MINUTES OF THE FLIGHT WERE UNREMARKABLE. WINDS WERE ABOUT THREE KNOTS. THE BALLOON WAS UNEXPECTEDLY ENTRAINED IN A 'LARGE THERMAL' AND CIRCLING WINDS. THE PILOT MADE THREE APPROACH ATTEMPTS, AND ABORTED EACH. ON THE FOURTH ATTEMPT, HE MADE AN APPROACH TO A PARKING LOT THEN ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON THE ROOF OF A BUILDING. THE BASKET SLID OVER THE BUILDING AND THE ENVELOPE CONTINUED INTO POWERLINES ON THE LEEWARD SIDE. HE SAID THERE WAS A 'LOUD POP AND A BRIGHT FLASH' AND THE BASKET SETTLED GENTLY TO THE GROUND.
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: 464 hours in all; 105 in this make and model; 68 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 411 as pilot in command; 27 on instruments
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 181 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 6, 1994; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,640 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 1 | 2 |
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.