Aerostar RX-8 accident near Bossier City, Louisiana, April 19, 2003
On April 19, 2003 at about 12:40 pm local time, a Aerostar RX-8 (balloon), registered N7172D, was involved in an accident near Bossier City, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the passenger to follow the pilots landing instructions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 2003 · about 12:40 pm local time
- Place
- Bossier City, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerostar RX-8
- Registration
- N7172D · registry record · serial 7172D
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an approach for landing the pilot instructed the passengers to face the direction of flight, hold on tight, and do not get out of the balloon until he told them to. Just prior to contacting the ground, he shook the basket to make sure the passenger's knees were bent for impact. As the pilot was making the landing, he informed everyone what to expect again and that the basket would tip over and rebound before coming to a complete stop. When the balloon landed, the pilot's handheld radio fell to the floor of the basket and one of the passengers reached down to pick it up. As the balloon "rebounded or skidded" along the ground for approximately 6 feet, the passenger hit her face on the propane tank injuring her back and neck.
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: 1,080 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 800 as pilot in command; 280 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 10, 2002
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 15, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 1,920 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Frierson LA
- Destination: Shreveport LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N7172D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 FTW03LA135.