Raven S-60A accident near Pecos, New Mexico, July 2, 1992
On July 2, 1992 at about 2:50 pm local time, a Raven S-60A (balloon), registered N4211V, was involved in an accident near Pecos, New Mexico. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
AN ENCOUNTER WITH HIGH WINDS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 1992 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Pecos, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raven S-60A · all S-60As on the register
- Registration
- N4211V · no longer on the register · serial 560A-273
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT HAD OBTAINED THREE WEATHER BRIEFINGS - AT 2000, 0447, AND 0705 - FOR A DEPARTURE OF BETWEEN 0700 AND 0730. EACH INDICATED THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WOULD BE SUITABLE FOR BALLOON FLYING. HOWEVER, SURFACE WINDS WERE FORECAST TO BE 15 KTS GUSTING 25 AFTER 1000. AS THE BALLOON LIFTED OFF, A GUST OF WIND WAS ENCOUNTERED, AND THE PILOT ELECTED TO CLIMB IMMEDIATELY TO 1,000 FT. THE PILOT SIGHTED A SUITABLE LANDING AREA AND DESCENDED THROUGH ROTOR WINDS AND LEVELED OFF AT 30 FT. SPEED WAS ESTIMATED AT 25 MPH. ON TOUCHDOWN, THE BASKET TIPPED FORWARD. A PASSENGER WAS EJECTED AND SERIOUSLY INJURED WHEN THE BASKET WAS DRAGGED OVER HER.
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: 384 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 384 as pilot in command; 30 on instruments
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 287 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 21, 1992; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Santa Fe NM at 2:00 pm
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from SAF, 24 miles away
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 DEN92LA069.