Raven Industries S-66A accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 10, 1982
On October 10, 1982 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Raven Industries S-66A (balloon), registered N1980M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 1982 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raven Industries S-66A
- Registration
- N1980M · registry record · serial S66A 105
- 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 PILOT WAS LANDING THE BALLOON IN STRONG GUSTY WINDS WHEN HE SAW POWER LINES APPROACHING AND TOLD EVERYONE TO JUMP. THOSE JUMPING, EXCEPT THE PILOT, WERE INJURED. ONE PASSENGER STAYED IN THE BASKET AND WAS UNHARMED.
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: 514 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 481 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 53 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Albuquerque NM at 10:00 am
- Destination: Albuquerque NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 135°F (57°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:52 am from ABQ, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 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 FTW83FQA02.