Ultramagic N250 - NO SERIES accident near Peoria, Arizona, July 31, 2015
On July 31, 2015 at about 2:50 pm local time, a 2010 Ultramagic N250 - NO SERIES (balloon), registered N57EX, was involved in an accident during standing near Peoria, Arizona. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 10 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to ensure that the passengers remained secure in the basket during deflation after landing, which resulted in a passenger falling out of the basket and sustaining a serious injury when a wind gust caught the envelope and tipped the basket on its side.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2015 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Peoria, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 10 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ultramagic N250 - NO SERIES NO SERIES, built 2010
- Registration
- N57EX · no longer on the register · serial 250/59
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the balloon deflation process after landing and when the balloon was about 90 percent deflated, a wind gust caught the fabric that still had hot air trapped in it. The basket subsequently tipped forward, and one passenger slid out of the basket and sustained a serious injury. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Ground handling event during standing
- Loss of control on ground during standing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 1,300 in this make and model; 5,000 as pilot in command; 50 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 12, 2013
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: none
- Injury: serious injuries
Passenger
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 967.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 3, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 5,308 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Hot Air Expeditions, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: Phoenix AZ at 1:25 pm
- Destination: Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KDVT, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 9 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 9, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation Passenger | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.