Head AX8 88 accident near Jackson, Wyoming, August 3, 2020
On August 3, 2020 at about 2:10 pm local time, a 1988 Head AX8 88 (balloon), registered N45303, suffered minor damage in an accident during enroute (change of cruise level) near Jackson, Wyoming. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The balloon pilot’s inability to maintain altitude during un-forecasted weather, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 2020 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Head AX8 88 No Series, built 1988
- Registration
- N45303 · registry record · serial 154
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The balloon pilot reported that after about 50 minutes of uneventful flying, the wind increased to about 11 miles per hour (mph) while traveling to the southwest. Immediately after, the wind abruptly shifted 180º and increased to about 20 miles per hour. The balloon descended and impacted terrain, slid about 30 yards, and came to rest on its side. The balloon sustained minor damaged, and a passenger sustained a serious broken ankle injury. The weather study revealed that the weather encountered was not forecasted.
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 during enroute (change of cruise level) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Effect on operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 5,195 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 25, 2020
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 141 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 20, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cameron Ultra Double (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Jackson WY at 1:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Observation at 5:00 am from KJAC, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on July 9, 2021. 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 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Weather Study | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.