Head Balloons, Inc. AX9-118 accident near Sedona, Arizona, March 12, 1994
On March 12, 1994 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Head Balloons, Inc. AX9-118, registered N45289, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sedona, Arizona. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the pilot lights and burners to relight in flight once extinguished due to the installation of an incorrect gas pressure regulator.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 1994 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sedona, Arizona
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Head Balloons, Inc. AX9-118
- Registration
- N45289 · no longer on the register · serial 217
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was descending to about 400 feet agl to give the passengers a better view of the surroundings and the burner pilot light went out. The pilot said he tried unsuccessfully to relight it up until ground impact. The balloon consisted of a Head AX9-118 envelope attached to a Balloon Works 5.5 basket, which included a Balloon Works Mirage F-1 burner. The installed propane gas regulator was found to be a Marshall Brass Company model 300. The envelope and basket, produced by different manufacturers, were combined together in accordance with STC SL1748. The burner tested to factory specification. The regulator was the incorrect part for the burner. Functional testing of the regulator found that it flowed at 8 psi. The correct regulator is a Marshall Brass model 301 which has a specified pressure range of 18 to 25 psi. According to Balloon Works, low regulator pressure might make reigniting the pilot lights and burners difficult once snuffed out in flight.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 57 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 27, 1993; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.