Raven S-60A accident near Rio Rancho, New Mexico, December 21, 1996
On December 21, 1996 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Raven S-60A (balloon), registered N4396K, was involved in an accident near Rio Rancho, New Mexico. It was a personal flight 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 passenger's failure to follow recommended procedures to properly brace for a high wind landing. A factor was the windshear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 21, 1996 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Rio Rancho, New Mexico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raven S-60A · all S-60As on the register
- Registration
- N4396K · no longer on the register · serial S60A-333
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
At takeoff, the surface wind speed was less than 4 knots. However, by the time of landing, the wind speed had increased to 12 to 15 knots. The pilot stated that the 'approach was normal with passengers braced for a high speed landing.' She followed 'standard procedure' for a high speed landing and pulled the top out of the balloon at about 15 to 20 feet agl. As the top was pulled, the balloon was 'hit by a windshear causing the air to exit faster than normal, and therefore, a hard landing.' According to one of the passengers, who was a commercial balloon pilot, there was nothing 'unusual or threatening to our normal descent in preparation for a landing. The 'windshear' seemed to 'throw' us straight down.' During the touchdown, one of the passengers, who was a balloon student pilot, broke his arm when he slid forward and fell against one of the propane tanks.
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: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 304 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 280 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 286 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 30, 1996; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 3:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 135° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°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.
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 FTW97LA068.