Aerostar International INC RX 8 accident near St. George, Utah, November 29, 2020
On November 29, 2020, a 1992 Aerostar International INC RX 8 (balloon), registered N9051Y, was involved in an accident near St. George, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the balloon and a member of the ground crews entanglement with a tether rope, which resulted in a serious injury when they fell to the ground after the balloon unexpectedly ascended.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 2020
- Place
- St. George, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerostar International INC RX 8, built 1992 · all RX 8s on the register
- Registration
- N9051Y · registry record · serial RX8-3156
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the balloon reported that, after landing and while the ground crew were in the process of securing the balloon, the driver of the chase truck attempted to help secure the balloon by grabbing a rope tethered to the balloon. While placing the rope in the rope’s storage bag, the balloon unexpectedly ascended, and the driver’s glove became entangled between the rope and bag. The balloon ascended about 20 ft in the air, and while the pilot was pulling the red line to top the ascent, the driver’s glove released from the rope and bag. The driver fell to the ground sustaining a serious injury. The pilot subsequently landed the balloon without further incident or damage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Ground handling event defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Ground crew
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 100.4 hours in all; 100.4 in this make and model; 39.1 in the last 90 days; 13.5 in the last 30 days; 66.4 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 20, 2020
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 686.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 19, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 51°F (11°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 27.22 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 WPR21LA155.