General Balloon NEWPORT AX8 accident near Houston, Texas, August 12, 1995
On August 12, 1995 at about 12:26 pm local time, a General Balloon NEWPORT AX8, registered N1384E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Houston, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE LOSS OF LIFT AND SUBSEQUENT HARD LANDING AS RESULT OF THE DISENGAGEMENT OF A VELCRO STRIP AT THE TOP OF THE BALLOON'S ENVELOPE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 1995 · about 12:26 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- General Balloon NEWPORT AX8 NEWPORT AX
- Registration
- N1384E · no longer on the register · serial 8007
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE BALLOON LOST LIFT WHILE IN LEVEL FLIGHT AT 500 FEET AGL WHEN A VELCRO STRIP SEPARATED ALLOWING THE TOP OF THE BALLOON'S ENVELOPE TO RELEASE THE HOT AIR. THE PILOT HEARD THE SOUND OF THE SEPARATING VELCRO AND ALERTED THE TWO PASSENGERS THAT THE BALLOON WAS GOING DOWN AS HE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO ADD HEAT TO THE ENVELOPE TO ARREST THE RATE OF DESCENT. THE BALLOON LANDED HARD IN AN OPEN FIELD, RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON, SERIOUS INJURIES TO ONE OF THE PASSENGERS, AND MINOR INJURIES TO THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ANOTHER PASSENGER.
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: 632 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 66 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 21, 1995; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,680 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE TX at 12:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:46 pm from SGR, 20 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.