General Balloon AX-6 accident near Houston, Texas, November 26, 1995
On November 26, 1995 at about 2:00 pm local time, a General Balloon AX-6, registered N2508E, was involved in an accident near Houston, Texas. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE BY THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE BALLOON DURING LANDING. A FACTOR WAS UNFAVORABLE WIND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 26, 1995 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- General Balloon AX-6
- Registration
- N2508E · no longer on the register · serial 513
- 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 LANDING FROM A COMMERCIAL AIR TOUR FLIGHT, THE BALLOON HIT A DITCH AND BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR. ONE PASSENGER FELL FROM THE BASKET. THE BALLOON WAS RELANDED AND DRAGGED ABOUT 50 FEET BEFORE IT WAS DEFLATED. WIND SPEED AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE WAS REPORTED BY THE PILOT TO BE 8 TO 10 KNOTS.
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: 634 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 620 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 330 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 27, 1995; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,210 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.