Barnes AX-7 accident near Creston, Iowa, September 20, 1986
On September 20, 1986 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Barnes AX-7 (balloon), registered N2054F, was involved in an accident near Creston, Iowa. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. 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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 1986 · about 1:00 pm local time · cases in 1986
- Place
- Creston, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Barnes AX-7
- Registration
- N2054F · registry record · serial A7164-S
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE HOT AIR BALLOON MADE A LANDING THAT WAS HARD ENOUGH TO BREAK HER RIGHT ANKLE. THE PILOT STATED THE ACCIDENT POSSIBLY COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF SHE HAD BEEN WEARING HIGHTOP SHOES WITH LACES.
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: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 31 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 18 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 383 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1986; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: None NONE (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; not recorded at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N2054F the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N2054F on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: None NONE · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Iowa 871 since 1982 · 131 in the last ten years
- Iowa 4,514 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N2054F 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/MKC86LA191.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.