Raven S55A accident near Fort Morgan, Colorado, August 27, 1988
On August 27, 1988 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Raven S55A (balloon), registered N779TV, was involved in an accident near Fort Morgan, Colorado. 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 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 1988 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Morgan, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raven S55A · all S55As on the register
- Registration
- N779TV · no longer on the register · serial S55A-541
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT AT THE TIME OF TAKEOFF, THE WINDS WERE 'LIGHT TO MODERATE FROM 015 DEG AT 5 KTS OR LESS.' SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE WINDS INCREASED TO 10-15 KTS AND THE PLT DECIDED TO LAND ON 'GRASSY, RELATIVELY SMOOTH TERRAIN.' THE PLT SAID HE INSTRUCTED HIS TWO PAX TO 'BEND THEIR KNEES' AT OR JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. ONE PAX LOCKED HER KNEES AND SUSTAINED A FRACTURED ANKLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PLT OR THE OTHER PAX, AND THE BALLOON WAS NOT DAMAGED.
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: 48 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 32 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 266 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 2, 1988; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,435 lb
- 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 015° at 15 knots, gusting 8
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 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.
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 DEN88LA201.