Cameron Balloons Z-90 accident near Dover, Pennsylvania, August 25, 2004
On August 25, 2004 at about 11:35 pm local time, a Cameron Balloons Z-90, registered N1032B, was involved in an accident near Dover, Pennsylvania. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to arrest an excessive descent rate prior to ground contact, which resulted in a hard landing. A factor was the relatively high winds (for balloon flight.)
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 2004 · about 11:35 pm local time
- Place
- Dover, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cameron Balloons Z-90 · all Z-90s on the register
- Registration
- N1032B · no longer on the register · serial 6370
- 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 briefed both passengers for the commercial balloon flight prior to takeoff, and specifically briefed them on landing procedures, which included bending their knees, facing the direction of travel, holding on, and remaining standing. About the time the balloon was launched, the wind speed was 8 miles per hour (mph). About 30 minutes into the flight, the winds had increased to 16 mph. The pilot advised his passengers and the ground crew that they would be landing as soon as possible. The pilot lowered the drop line to the ground crew and they subsequently slowed the balloon from 12 mph to 8 mph. He then repeated the landing instructions to the passengers, and indicated that they should brace themselves for a very hard landing. The pilot pulled the vent line to release some of the heat from the envelope, and ensure the balloon did not bounce. The basket "hit the ground" and tipped over. One of the passengers incurred a back injury during the landing. The pilot did not claim that the passenger failed to follow his landing instructions.
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: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 505 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 505 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 10, 2004
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, July 8, 2004; 13 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: York PA at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from THV
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 IAD04CA045.