Thunder And Colt AX-10 accident near Akron, Pennsylvania, August 31, 1997
On August 31, 1997 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Thunder And Colt AX-10 (balloon), registered N834TC, was involved in an accident near Akron, Pennsylvania. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 9 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of a passenger to hang onto the ropes, as directed; which allowed another passenger to be struck as the basket tipped over, broking her arm. A related factor was the wind, which was strong enough to tip the basket, while the envelope was deflating.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 1997 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Akron, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 9 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Thunder And Colt AX-10
- Registration
- N834TC · registry record · serial 2475VSA
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before landing, the balloon pilot briefed the passengers to hold onto ropes on the side of the basket and to duck down when told. The pilot performed a steep approach, and the balloon touched down hard. The balloon bounced and came to rest upright. The pilot continue to deflate the envelope; however, the winds caught the envelope and tipped the basket over. One passenger received a broken arm, when another passenger fell against her. The pilot reported that during the landing, the wind velocity was about 8 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: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 700 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 700 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 335 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 21, 1997; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Stroudsburg PA at 10:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 8 |
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.