Cameron R-420 accident near Yeso, New Mexico, January 9, 1998
On January 9, 1998 at about 2:13 pm local time, a Cameron R-420 (balloon), registered N298AR, was destroyed in an accident near Yeso, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The rupture of the gas cell bottom (diaphragm) due to inadequate manufacturer's design and inadequate manufacturing quality control. A factor was the flight crew's performance of an emergency bailout which allowed the balloon to drift unattended for approximately 7 hours and 18 minutes.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 9, 1998 · about 2:13 pm local time
- Place
- Yeso, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cameron R-420
- Registration
- N298AR · no longer on the register · serial 001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Global Hilton Roziere gas balloon experienced a rupture of its main gas cell's bottom 10 to 12 minutes after it reached its ceiling. The pilots continued to hear pops, rips, and tearing as the balloon descended to approximately 9,000 feet msl. Eighteen propane bottles and three oxygen bottles surrounded the gondola. The ground crew reported surface winds of 30 to 35 knots, and the surface terrain was rugged with canyons and rock formations. The crew decided that a safe heavy weight standup landing would not be possible, and they parachuted to the ground. The unmanned balloon continued flight for 7 hours and 375 nm until it impacted wires and was consumed by postimpact fire. The manufacturer stated that the main gas cell had 13.273 square feet of opening for the two appendixes to release surplus gas at ceiling altitude. Postaccident examination revealed that the balloon appendixes had only 8.96 square feet of opening. The manufacturer modified appendixes were buckled to the balloon's side, which further restricted the openings by 56%. The base circle in the bottom of the main gas cell 41 inches in diameter, 21.75% smaller than design specifications.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 11,333 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 11,283 as pilot in command; 1,935 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 11,980 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Albuquerque NM at 1:18 pm
- Destination: NONE Gainsville TX
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 19 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from CVS, 36 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.