Ultramagic SA N 300 accident near Cave Creek, Arizona, March 28, 2018
On March 28, 2018 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 2016 Ultramagic SA N 300 (balloon), registered N64EX, was destroyed in an accident during taxi near Cave Creek, Arizona. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 13 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The balloon pilot’s decision to add heat to the envelope with a tree branch protruding into the envelope that caught fire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 28, 2018 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cave Creek, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 13 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ultramagic SA N 300 NO SERIES, built 2016 · all N 300s on the register
- Registration
- N64EX · no longer on the register · serial 300/59
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during landing, the balloon came to rest pressing against a small tree. He added that when he applied heat to the envelope to reposition the balloon for deflation, a small hole appeared in the fabric and a small tree branch protruded into the envelope. Upon adding the heat, the tree branch inside the envelope caught fire causing the envelope fabric to catch fire. The passengers exited the basket, two fire extinguishers were deployed in an attempt to extinguish the fire, but the basket and envelope were consumed by the fire. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
- Miscellaneous/other during taxi
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 287 in this make and model
- Last flight review: December 2, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 327.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 25, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 6,446 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (none); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Phoenix AZ at 2:30 pm
- Destination: Cave Creek AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KDVT, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 12 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 21, 2018. 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 | Accident Picture | 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.