Lindstrand Balloons 180A accident near Ridgeway, Colorado, May 22, 2004
On May 22, 2004 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Lindstrand Balloons 180A, registered N60181, suffered minor damage in an accident near Ridgeway, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 4 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the sudden wind gusts and the pilot's failure to maintain control of the balloon resulting in the balloon's basket impacting two vehicles and a house, and subsequently impacting the terrain. Factors relating to the accident were the two vehicles, the house, and the pilot's delay in taking remedial action to stop the balloon.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2004 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ridgeway, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 4 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lindstrand Balloons 180A
- Registration
- N60181 · no longer on the register · serial 5135
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while landing the wind changed directions taking his balloon up a slight draw between houses. The pilot said he elected to land on a hillside and wait for his crew. The pilot said they had been there for about a minute when a sudden gust of wind came up the draw and pushed the balloon in the air. The pilot said the balloon headed east toward a house at a rapid rate. He said the basket struck a boat, a ladder rack on a truck, and the edge of the roof of the house. The balloon then returned to the ground and was drug up a hill to its crest. At the crest of the hill the balloon again became airborne. The balloon again came down, this time on a road. The pilot said he ripped out the top to deflate the balloon. The balloon then bounced down the hillside before dragging the basket on its side for a short distance. The pilot said the balloon then came to rest and deflated. The pilot said the seriously injured passenger, on getting down in the basket, sat down hard. The pilot said the bottom of the basket sustained minor damage. The balloon envelope experienced some ripped panels. At 0752, the reported wind conditions at Montrose, Colorado, 25 miles north of the accident site were 210 degrees at 17 knots gusting to 20 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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 1,386 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,586 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Ridgeway CO at 1:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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.