Thunder And Colt 240A accident near Woody Creek, Colorado, August 8, 1993
On August 8, 1993 at about 2:01 pm local time, a Thunder And Colt 240A (balloon), registered N748TC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Woody Creek, Colorado. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were seriously injured and 7 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN INFLIGHT ENCOUNTER WITH HIGH WINDS WHICH REQUIRED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 1993 · about 2:01 pm local time
- Place
- Woody Creek, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were seriously injured and 7 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Thunder And Colt 240A
- Registration
- N748TC · no longer on the register · serial 2285
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON A LOCAL AREA PASSSENGER SIGHT SEEING FLIGHT, THE BALLOON ENCOUNTERED HIGH WINDS. DURING THE ENSUING PRECAUTIONARY LANDING, THE BALLOON STRUCK A FENCE AND LANDED HARD THROWING THE PILOT FROM THE BASKET.
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: 1,054 hours in all; 56 in this make and model; 74 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days; 1,009 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 125 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 27, 1993; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,527 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Snowmass CO at 12:30 pm
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; ovct at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 12:45 pm from GCT, 70 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 7 |
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.