Raven RX-7 accident near Phoenix, Arizona, November 13, 1999
On November 13, 1999 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Raven RX-7 (balloon), registered N4046M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delay in initiating a climb and his subsequent failure to attain and maintain clearance from mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 13, 1999 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raven RX-7
- Registration
- N4046M · no longer on the register · serial RX7-310
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Liftoff and initial stages of the flight were uneventful. As the flight proceeded, the balloon approached a steep-sided mountain and the pilot initiated a climb. He realized he was not going to clear the mountain and secured the heat prior to colliding with the ground. The balloon contacted the ground near the mountain crest, turning the gondola on its side. The balloon drifted off the other side of the mountain, the pilot reapplied heat, and flew several miles before completing an uneventful landing. The gondola sustained substantial damage and one passenger suffered a fractured leg.
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: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 85 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from PHX, 60 miles away
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.
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.