Cameron Balloon A-210 accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 28, 2001
On October 28, 2001 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Cameron Balloon A-210, registered N30606, suffered minor damage in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 7 people had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's excessive descent rate during the landing approach, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing factors were the high wind conditions and the lack of suitable terrain for the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 2001 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 7 people had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cameron Balloon A-210
- Registration
- N30606 · no longer on the register · serial 6066
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot obtained a weather briefing prior to the hot-air balloon flight. The pilot reported that during the initial part of the flight, the wind was "light as forecasted." During the approach to landing, the pilot noticed the "winds starting to increase varying greatly in direction." The landing sites were "minimal," and she elected to land in a field. She briefed her passengers for a "steep approach/short field landing." As the balloon reached trees upwind from the landing site, the pilot pulled the deflation port, and warned her passengers that the landing was going to be "very hard." She added that as the balloon passed over the tree line, "it felt like we were being pushed to the ground at a greater descent than I expected." The balloon subsequently impacted the ground hard. The wind in the local area was reported as 120 degrees at 3 knots. The pilot reported the wind from 140 to 200 degrees at 15-20 knots.
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: 2,100 hours in all; 28 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 2,090 as pilot in command; 200 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 30, 2000
- Medical certificate: None
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 617 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 12, 2001; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Albuquerque NM at 1:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from ABQ, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 7 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N30606 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.