Thunder And Colt AX9-140 accident near Napa, California, May 2, 1990
On May 2, 1990 at about 2:40 pm local time, a Thunder And Colt AX9-140 (balloon), registered N9112R, was involved in an accident near Napa, California. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER FLARE TECHNIQUE WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF A HIGH WIND CONDITION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 2, 1990 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Napa, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 4 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Thunder And Colt AX9-140
- Registration
- N9112R · no longer on the register · serial 996
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHEN THE FLIGHT BEGAN, THE LOCAL SURFACE WIND WAS NOT OVER 3 MPH. HOWEVER, AS THE FLIGHT PROGRESSED, HE NOTED THAT THE WIND SPEED WAS INCREASING AND HE ELECTED TO TERMINATE THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT SAID THAT WHEN HE TOUCHED DOWN THE SURFACE WIND HAD INCREASED TO BETWEEN 8 AND 12 MPH. THE BALOON LANDED HARD, BOUNCED 30 TO 40 FEET UP IN THE AIR, AND THEN LANDED HARD AGAIN.
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: 661 hours in all; 660 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 656 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,506 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 2:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N9112R 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.