Raven S-60A accident near Coloma, California, July 5, 1993
On July 5, 1993 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Raven S-60A (balloon), registered N35GS, was involved in an accident near Coloma, California. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the passenger's injury to an ankle during the landing touchdown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 1993 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Coloma, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raven S-60A · all S-60As on the register
- Registration
- N35GS · no longer on the register · serial S60A-226
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER A 40 MINUTE LOCAL FOR HIRE SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT, THE PILOT DESCENDED INTO AN OAK TREE STUDDED FIELD FOR LANDING. THE PILOT NOTED THAT HE HAD USED THIS FIELD FOR LANDINGS ON 12 TO 15 OCCASIONS. DURING THE APPROACH, THE BASKET GRAZED A TREE TOP. THE PILOT SAID THE TREE CONTACT SLOWED THE BALLOON'S PROGRESS SLIGHTLY, BUT DID 'NOT DEFLECT THE BALLOON FROM ITS FLIGHT PATH.' THE BALLOON BASKET MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND ABOUT 30 FEET BEYOND THE TREE IN WHAT THE PILOT DESCRIBED AS A 'STAND-UP LANDING, WITH LITTLE OR NO DRAG ACROSS THE GROUND.' THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE INJURED PASSENGER'S ANKLE 'WENT OUT FROM UNDER HER AND TWISTED, BREAKING THE ANKLE IN THREE PLACES.'
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: 1,144 hours in all; 34 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 640 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 30, 1993; 96 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 2:30 pm
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX93LA279.