General Balloon AX-6 accident near Panamint Valley, California, March 24, 1985
On March 24, 1985 at about 6:00 pm local time, a General Balloon AX-6, registered N2614K, suffered minor damage in an accident near Panamint Valley, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 1985 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Panamint Valley, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- General Balloon AX-6
- Registration
- N2614K · no longer on the register · serial 521
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE WAS LANDING ON DESERT TERRAIN IN NEARLY CALM AIR WHEN A 'STRONG THERMAL WIND PUSHED THE BALLOON 90 DEGREES FROM THE DIRECTION OF TRACK.' SUBSEQUENTLY, THE BALLOON LANDED HARD & WAS DRAGGED ABOUT 150 FT ACROSS THE DESERT. WHILE DEPLOYING THE RIP LINE TO EXPEL HOT AIR, THE PLT FELL ONTO A 68 YEAR OLD FEMALE PASSENGER. DURING THE OCCURRENCE, SHE SUFFERED BROKEN RIBS & A FRACTURED WRIST. REPORTEDLY, THE INJURED PASSENGER HAD OSTEOPOROSIS (CALCIUM DEPLETION OF THE BONES). THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING THE LANDING, THE WIND HAD GUSTED TO 20 KTS.
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: 76 hours in all; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 76 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 109 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 20, 1984; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,350 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Panamint CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 2 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 14 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.