Aerostar International RX8 accident near Petaluma, California, February 13, 2016
On February 13, 2016 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1990 Aerostar International RX8 (balloon), registered N3647A, suffered minor damage in an accident during landing near Petaluma, California. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind during the landing approach, which resulted in the balloon’s basket impacting a metal fence and a passenger sustaining serious injuries.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 13, 2016 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Petaluma, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerostar International RX8, built 1990
- Registration
- N3647A · registry record · serial E8-3064
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was making an approach to a field for landing at the end of the sightseeing flight. During the approach, he misjudged the wind, which pushed the balloon near a metal fence and resulted in the balloon's basket striking the fence. The pilot then landed the balloon safely on an adjacent road. The balloon sustained minor damage, and a child passenger, who was sitting down in the basket, sustained serious injuries.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Miscellaneous/other during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › (general) › Response/compensation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 1,768 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 30, 2015
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 634 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 8, 2015
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: Petaluma CA
- Destination: Petaluma CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KSTS, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR16LA070.