Lindstrand Balloons 90A accident near Cottonwood, Arizona, October 16, 2010
On October 16, 2010 at about 2:37 pm local time, a Lindstrand Balloons 90A, registered N807PW, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Cottonwood, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The paraglider pilot's failure to see and avoid the hot air balloon, which resulted in a midair collision.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 16, 2010 · about 2:37 pm local time · cases in 2010
- Place
- Cottonwood, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lindstrand Balloons 90A · all 90As on the register
- Registration
- N807PW · registry record · serial 5381
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a hot air balloon reported that he was on a local area flight during an airport appreciation day at the departure airport. During the flight, he saw a powered paraglider maneuver close to the envelope of his hot air balloon. The paraglider subsequently collided with the envelope of the hot air balloon. The pilot of the unregistered paraglider reported that he was focused on taking photographs of another hot air balloon at the time and was not aware that he had maneuvered so close to the accident hot air balloon. The paraglider pilot attempted an evasive maneuver to avoid the hot air balloon; however, the paraglider flew into the side of the envelope, penetrating it. As the balloon and paraglider descended, they remained attached until ground impact.
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
What happened, in order
- Midair collision during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other aircraft › Pilot of other aircraft
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 344 hours in all; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 92 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 23, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,980 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: P52 Cottonwood AZ at 2:00 pm
- Destination: P52 Cottonwood AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 2:29 pm from SEZ, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 24, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Police Report Excerpt Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Report Photographs (5 Embedded Photos) | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N807PW on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Lindstrand Balloons 90 79 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Lindstrand Balloons 252 aircraft on the register
- Cottonwood Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Arizona 2,985 since 1982 · 466 in the last ten years
- Arizona 8,435 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR11LA017.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.