Cameron A 315 accident near Jackson, Wyoming, August 3, 2020
On August 3, 2020 at about 2:13 pm local time, a 2006 Cameron A 315 (balloon), registered N12171, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Jackson, Wyoming. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 8 people had minor injuries; 10 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The balloon pilot’s inability to maintain the proper descent rate during the balloon’s approach to landing 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 2:13 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 8 people had minor injuries; 10 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cameron A 315 No Series, built 2006
- Registration
- N12171 · registry record · serial 6453
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The balloon pilot reported that while on final approach to land, about 20 ft above the ground, he saw two balloons he was following, both on their final approaches, suddenly reverse direction, by a strong wind from the southwest. Shortly after, the accident balloon lifted about 50 ft above the ground, followed by a downdraft. The pilot maneuvered the balloon to land and activated both burners to cushion the landing. When the descent rate was less than 500 ft per minute, he deactivated the burners and shouted to the passengers to “hold on” and pulled the quick vent deflate line before touchdown. The balloon landed hard, skidded on its side about 300 ft, and came to rest against an irrigation ditch embankment. The balloon sustained substantial damage to the envelope and a passenger sustained a serious injury. The balloon pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures to the balloon that would have precluded normal operation. A weather study revealed that the weather encountered by the balloon flight 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/approach/glide path › Attain/maintain not possible
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: May 25, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 461.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2019; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 17
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Cameron Sirocco (lr); 462 hours total
- Engine 2: Cameron Sirocco (lr); 462 hours total
- Engine 3: Cameron Sirocco (lr); 462 hours total
- Engine 4: Cameron Sirocco (lr); 462 hours total
- Operator: Wyoming Balloon Co
The flight
- Departed from: Teton Village WY at 1:07 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:00 am from KJAC, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 8 | 9 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 3, 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, 10 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.