Raven S60A accident near Grand Lake, Colorado, March 7, 1987
On March 7, 1987 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Raven S60A (balloon), registered N2803L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Lake, Colorado. 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 1987 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Lake, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raven S60A · all S60As on the register
- Registration
- N2803L · no longer on the register · serial S60A392
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE BALLOON ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE DURING NORMAL CRUISE AT 100 TO 150 FEET AGL, WHILE CROSSING A RIDGELINE. GUSTS EXTINGUISHED BOTH BURNER PLT LIGHTS AND PARTIALLY COLLAPSED THE ENVELOPE. THE BALLOON BEGAN AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT. THE PLT RE-IGNITED BOTH BURNER PLT LIGHTS AND APPLIED FULL BURN TO SLOW THE RATE OF DESCENT. THE ENVELOPE WAS IMPALED ON TREES AND THE GONDOLA LANDED ON OPEN 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: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 96 hours in all; 96 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 87 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 45 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 28, 1986; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.