Lindstrand 310A accident near Jackson, Wyoming, August 3, 2020
On August 3, 2020 at about 2:13 pm local time, a 2011 Lindstrand 310A (balloon), registered N971LB, was involved in an accident during landing near Jackson, Wyoming. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 22 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inability to arrest the descent rate when the balloon encountered unforecasted high ground wind that 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 2:13 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 22 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Lindstrand 310A No Series, built 2011
- Registration
- N971LB · registry record · serial 5489
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that before the flight he checked the weather in the area for the balloon flight which indicated light and variable wind conditions about 4-5 knots and no forecasted weather that would adversely affect the flight. At the conclusion of the flight, and as the balloon approached the ground, the wind picked up causing the balloon to descend and the basket lightly touched the ground. After recovery from the unintended landing, the pilot maneuvered to land the balloon. The balloon picked up and gained altitude when there was a sudden 180o wind shift. The ground speed increased, and the balloon started a descent. The pilot used multiple burners but could not arrest the rate of descent. The pilot commanded the passengers to get down and the balloon touched down around 20 mph on an irrigation ditch which tilted the basket. The pilot was ejected from the basket and the balloon drifted back into the air. The pilot yelled to the passengers to pull the red Q-vent line for a fast deflation system to stop the balloon from climbing higher. The balloon started its descent back into the high ground wind, landed and was dragged into a cattle fence. The pilot was not injured. Two passengers were seriously injured, and 13 passengers received minor injuries. The balloon was not damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation. A weather study of the area 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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
- Other weather encounter during approach
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Attain/maintain not possible
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › High wind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 18,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 9, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 349 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2019; 349 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,940 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lindstrand BU 1367 (lr); 349 hours total
- Operator: Wyoming Balloon Co
The flight
- Departed from: Jackson WY at 1:30 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)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 am from KJAC, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 22 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on July 26, 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 | Weather Study | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 17 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | 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.