Thunder And Colt COLT 180A accident near Tucson, Arizona, April 27, 1995
On April 27, 1995 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Thunder And Colt COLT 180A (balloon), registered N738TC, was involved in an accident near Tucson, Arizona. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 6 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the inability of the pilot to compensate for the wind conditions which resulted in the basket tipping over following touchdown during a high-wind landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 1995 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 6 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Thunder And Colt COLT 180A
- Registration
- N738TC · no longer on the register · serial 2292
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
NEAR THE CONCLUSION OF THE HOUR-LONG AERIAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT, THE PILOT RECOGNIZED THAT IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO PERFORM A HIGH-WIND LANDING, AND THE BASKET MIGHT TIP OVER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE INFORMED HIS PASSENGERS TO PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR THE HIGH-WIND LANDING, AND THEY ALL APPEARED TO APPROPRIATELY RESPOND. JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT RIPPED OUT THE BALLOON TOP IN ORDER TO CONCLUDE THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT THE BASKET TOUCHED DOWN SMOOTHLY IN A VERY LARGE FIELD. HOWEVER, AFTER TOUCHDOWN IT TIPPED OVER BECAUSE THE WIND AT GROUND LEVEL WAS BLOWING AT 7 KNOTS.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 1,734 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 141 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 1,690 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 225 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 3, 1995; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,018 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 135° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 5 |
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 N738TC 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.