Lindstrand Balloons 90A accident near Dayton, Nevada, May 28, 2021
On May 28, 2021 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 2007 Lindstrand Balloons 90A, registered N1535G, was involved in an accident during landing near Dayton, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the balloon due to an unexpected high surface wind and downdraft, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 2021 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Dayton, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Lindstrand Balloons 90A, built 2007 · all 90As on the register
- Registration
- N1535G · registry record · serial 5374
- 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, while landing, the wind suddenly shifted from about 1 to 10 miles per hour. The balloon ascended about 200 ft, then began to descend. Despite the use of both burners, the pilot was unable to arrest the descent. The basket struck the ground and tipped forward where she was partially ejected while pulling the deflation line. The balloon then began to ascend, and rotate, while the pilot continued to pull the deflation line, she was then fully ejected from the basket. Unable to hold onto the deflation line, she dropped about 15 to 20 ft to the ground and was seriously injured with a broken pelvis and three fractured vertebrae. One of the passengers continued to pull the deflation line and the balloon landed without damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported the forecast indicated calm wind at the surface.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Other weather encounter during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 639 hours in all; 639 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 639 as pilot in command; 25 on instruments
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: none
- Injury: serious injuries
Passenger
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 252 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 27, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 1,980 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: Dayton NV at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 58°F (14°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Weather report (METAR): METAR KCXP 281515Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 13/M07 A3019 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N1535G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 WPR21LA225.