Adams AB accident near Ballwin, Missouri, July 15, 1984
On July 15, 1984 at about 1:10 am local time, a Adams AB (balloon), registered N4004G, was involved in an accident near Ballwin, Missouri. 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 1984 · about 1:10 am local time
- Place
- Ballwin, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 4 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Adams AB
- Registration
- N4004G · registry record · serial 119
- 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 PLT REPORTED THAT BEFORE LANDING, HE REBRIEFED THE PASSENGERS ON THE LANDING TECHNIQUE. HE NOTED THAT A LADY PASSENGER SEEMED NERVOUS ABOUT THE LANDING. THE PLT LANDED IN A PASTURE WITH AN ESTIMATE 6 KT WIND. REPORTEDLY, THE BALLOON MADE A SOFT TOUCHDOWN, BUT THE BASKET TIPPED OVER. THE LADY, WHO SEEMED NERVOUS, SUFFERED A BROKEN SHOULDER. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, SHE HAD A HISTORY OF BROKEN BONES.
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
- Flight time: 1,878 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 1,866 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 77 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 9, 1983; 77 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Eureka MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°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.
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.