Thunder And Colt AX8-90 S 2 accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 9, 1998
On October 9, 1998 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Thunder And Colt AX8-90 S 2 (balloon), registered N790TC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper planning for his landing site approach which resulted in the balloon landing in close proximity to electrical transmission lines.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 1998 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Thunder And Colt AX8-90 S 2
- Registration
- N790TC · no longer on the register · serial 2526USA
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The balloon had landed and was disembarking its occupants when the envelope became entangled in adjacent transmission wires. One passenger reported receiving an electrical shock, and was later examined at a local hospital. The pilot said that the envelope could not be extracted from the wires until the power was shut off, subsequently, approximately 25 envelope panels were destroyed. The reported wind at Albuquerque International Airport at the time of the accident was 160 degrees at 7 knots. The pilot failed to fill out and return a Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2.
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
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ABQ Albuquerque NM at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from ABQ, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.