Cameron A-275 accident near Sedona, Arizona, June 5, 2019
On June 5, 2019 at about 1:35 pm local time, a 2018 Cameron A-275 (balloon), registered N3004S, was involved in an accident during landing near Sedona, Arizona. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 17 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The balloon’s encounter with rough terrain, which resulted in a bounced landing and a ground crewmember sustaining serious injuries.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 2019 · about 1:35 pm local time
- Place
- Sedona, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 17 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cameron A-275 No Series, built 2018
- Registration
- N3004S · registry record · serial 6863
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, as the balloon touched down, one of the ground crewmembers jumped into the basket to add his weight. As the balloon was coming to a stop, it encountered some rough terrain hidden by tall grass. The balloon bounced, and the ground crewmember was ejected from the basket and landed on the ground. The pilot added that the balloon "came up off the ground again and over the crew member." The crewmember sustained serious injuries. 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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 6,127 hours in all; 845 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 6,127 as pilot in command; 40 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 13, 2018
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 99.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 21, 2019
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: P-Marks Plus Inc
The flight
- Departed from: Sedona AZ at 12:25 pm
- Destination: Sedona AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KPRC, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 16 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on July 18, 2019. 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 |
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.