Aerostar S57-A accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 8, 2005
On October 8, 2005 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Aerostar S57-A (balloon), registered N3635U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico (Albuquerque International Sun airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper in flight planning decision to takeoff and land (splash and dash) in close proximity to trees. Contributing factors are the trees and the water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 2005 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico · Albuquerque International Sun · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerostar S57-A
- Registration
- N3635U · registry record · serial S57A-3091
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that after briefing the crew on a "splash and dash" (touching down in the water and lifting off again) on a sand bar in the middle of the Rio Grande River, he took off again, and climbed up and cleared a tree at the edge of the water, allowing the balloon to cool and descend towards the river. The crown line and vent line caught a tree branch and he was continuing to burn while the vent line was being held open." A crew from the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) arrived within 1-2 minutes and "they were able to free the crown line first but the vent line was being held open and once the crown line was freed, the balloon continued to vent and the basket descended into the water. The balloon's throat collapsed and the envelope started to deflate. I evacuated the crewmembers to the APD personnel while the envelope and basket were drawn into the water. The current was too swift to recover the balloon system despite the assistance of 2 APD personnel and 5 bystanders."
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: 193 hours in all; 118 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 191 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2005; 6 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Unknown (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Albuquerque NM at 2:00 pm
- Destination: Albuquerque NM
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from ABQ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.