Head AX9-118 accident near Galt, California, August 9, 2019
On August 9, 2019 at about 3:45 pm local time, a 2013 Head AX9-118 (balloon), registered N2027S, suffered minor damage in an accident near Galt, California. It was a business 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
A loss of control following an adverse wind encounter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2019 · about 3:45 pm local time · cases in 2019
- Place
- Galt, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Head AX9-118 No Series, built 2013
- Registration
- N2027S · registry record · serial 430
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was giving rides during a balloon festival while the balloon remained tethered to three cars. The wind increased, and the pilot decided to stop performing flights. As he was in the process of deflating the envelope, a wind gust caused the balloon to ascend rapidly. The ground crew let go of the ropes, and the balloon ascended to the end of the tethers. One of the eye bolt attachments from the basket to the rope broke, allowing the rope to come loose, followed by the failure of a second eye bolt attachment, which allowed the second rope to come loose. At that point, the ground crew was attempting to hold the third rope when the pilot told them to cut it loose. The pilot applied the burner to heat the envelope and rise above powerlines; however, as the crew cut the remaining rope, the basket twisted, which closed the throat of the envelope. The balloon continued toward a nearby open field, where the pilot chose to land. The pilot stated that, with the envelope only partially inflated, the descent was fast and the balloon landed hard. He turned off the burners and the balloon envelope deflated onto its side.
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
- Other weather encounter defining event
- Unknown or undetermined during uncontrolled descent
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › (general) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 1,047 hours in all; 290 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,047 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 21, 2019
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: none
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 288.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 5, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Na (none); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KSAC, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 9 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – Basket and Rigid Frame at Accident Site
Photo 2 – Corner Plate with intact Eyelet at Accident Site
Photo 3 – Corner Plate with Elongated Eyelet at Accident Site
Photo 4 – Corner Plate with Elongated Eyelet Screw at Accident Site
Photo 5 – Corner Plate with Elongated Eyelet Screw at Accident Site
Photo 6 – Overview of Rigid Frame
Photo 7 – View of Rigid Frame
Photo 8 – Close-up View of Eyelet Screws
Photo 9 – Nomex Skirt Heat DamageThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 16, 2022. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 9 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N2027S 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
- N2027S on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Na · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,096 in the last ten years
- California 28,112 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N2027S 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/WPR19LA228.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.