Aerostar RAVEN 560 accident near Tucson, Arizona, February 19, 1989
On February 19, 1989 at about 3:40 pm local time, a Aerostar RAVEN 560 (balloon), registered N767AA, was involved in an accident near Tucson, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 4 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
BALLOON ENTERED INTO A SEVERE DOWN DRAFT WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING DUE TO INADEQUATE PREPARATION AND COMPENSATION FOR THE CONDITIONS BY THE BALLOON PILOT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 1989 · about 3:40 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 4 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerostar RAVEN 560
- Registration
- N767AA · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF A AEROSTAR RAVEN 560 (BALLOON), DURING THE DESCENT FOR LANDING ENCOUNTERED A DOWN DRAFT WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING NEAR TUCSON, ARIZONA. THE BALLOON COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE FINALLY COMING TO REST. THE PILOT SAID THAT, 'I WAS PREPARING FOR LANDING AND AT APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL WHEN I ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE DOWN DRAFT OF APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET PER MINUTE. I INSTRUCTED THE PASSENGERS TO PREPARE FOR A FIRM LANDING. AFTER HITTING THE GROUND, DRAGGING APPROXIMATELY 10 YARDS AND GOING AIRBORNE, WE RETURNED AND STRUCK THE GROUND AGAIN'...ONE ELEVEN YEAR OLD PASSENGER JUMPED OUT OF THE BALLOON WHILE WE WERE DRAGGING ACROSS THE DESERT'...SHE [THIS PASSENGER] SUFFERED A BROKEN ARM UPON HITTING THE GROUND...' THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE BALLOON PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 35 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 9, 1989; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: None (type not recorded); 0 hours total
- Operator: Nevada High, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 3 |
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.