Cameron V-77 accident near Durango, Colorado, May 21, 1994
On May 21, 1994 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cameron V-77 (balloon), registered N1992B, was involved in an accident near Durango, Colorado. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT DID NOT ATTAIN A PROPER LEVEL OFF DURING LANDING. A DOWNDRAFT WHICH WAS ENCOUNTERED WAS A FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 1994 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Durango, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cameron V-77
- Registration
- N1992B · no longer on the register · serial 5281
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE LANDING SEQUENCE FOLLOWING A COMMERCIAL AIR TOUR FLIGHT, A DOWNDRAFT WAS ENCOUNTERED AND THE BALLOON LANDED HARD. THIS LANDING CAUSED THE COMMERCIAL PILOT TO BREAK HER ANKLE AND ONE PASSENGER WAS EJECTED. THE BALLOON BECAME AIRBORNE FOLLOWING THIS LANDING AND ASCENDED TO APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET. A SECOND LANDING WAS MADE, WHICH ACCORDING TO THE PILOT AGGRAVATED HER PREVIOUS ANKLE INJURY. THE BALLOON CHASE CREW PICKED UP THE EJECTED PASSENGER AND CALLED EMERGENCY SERVICES TO ASSIST THE PILOT. THE EJECTED PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES DURING THE EJECTION.
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: 153 hours in all; 153 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 30, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from DRO, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
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.