Thunder And Colt 180A accident near Hartsel, Colorado, March 25, 1996
On March 25, 1996 at about 4:43 pm local time, a Thunder And Colt 180A (balloon), registered N767TC, was destroyed in an accident near Hartsel, Colorado. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries; 6 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain on which to make a landing. The rocky terrain was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 1996 · about 4:43 pm local time
- Place
- Hartsel, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries; 6 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Thunder And Colt 180A
- Registration
- N767TC · registry record · serial 2367
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he landed the balloon on rocky terrain at the bottom of a hill in winds less than 5 mph. The balloon touched down and bounced, and the pilot vented the envelope. On the second bounce, the basket struck a rock and overturned. The basket was dragged up and over the hill, ejecting all but one passenger, who had become entangled. The pilot managed to free the passenger. A fire erupted in the balloon, and it drifted away, eventually landing in a wooded area about 8 miles away. One passenger said the balloon 'bounced up the hill many times...at least 15 times.' Another passenger said they hit the ground 2 or 3 times heavily...the basket was hitting the ground very hard and bouncing.'
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: 381 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 13 on instruments
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 90 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1995; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- 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 230° at 5 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 3 | 5 |
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.