Aerostar RX-8 accident near Globe, Arizona, October 8, 2005
On October 8, 2005 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Aerostar RX-8 (balloon), registered N5161Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Globe, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's encounter with a wind gust during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 2005 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Globe, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerostar RX-8
- Registration
- N5161Y · registry record · serial RX8-3318
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The balloon was damaged and the pilot injured after encountering a wind gust during a landing. After receiving a weather report with no notation of adverse conditions, the pilot launched the balloon for a pleasure flight in the desert landscape. After several hours he opted to touchdown below a ridge located next to a road. After the basket contacted the surface, a gust of wind dragged the balloon over the ridge, resulting in substantial damage to the foot well and broomstick; the pilot sustained a broken ankle. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon.
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: 228 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Globe AZ
- Destination: Globe AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N5161Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.