RIO RANCHO, NM, USA
N4207U
Raven S77A
THE BALLOON PILOT TOOK OFF WITH 8 PASSENGERS ON A SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT. LATER INTO THE FLIGHT, THE WINDS STARTED TO INCREASE AND SUITABLE LANDING AREAS BECAME SCARCE. THE PILOT DECIDED TO LAND ON A MESA. SHE SAID SHE GAVE THE PASSENGERS TWO HIGH WIND LANDING BRIEFINGS. DURING THE ENSUING HARD LANDING, ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A FRACTURED ARM AND ANOTHER PASSENGER FRACTURED A FOOT. THE BALLOON WAS NOT DAMAGED. ALBUQUERQUE, NM, AT 0750 MDT REPORTED THE WIND FROM 220 DEGREES AT 10 KTS WITH NO GUSTS. THIS WAS 15 NM FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE WHERE THE PLT REPT 15KT WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 20 KTS AND A LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR.
A HARD LANDING DUE TO THE PILOTS FAILURE TO ACCURATELY EVALUATE THE WEATHER CONDITIONS ALONG WITH A DELAY IN MAKING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE HIGH WINDS AND WIND SHEAR ALONG WITH ROUGH/UNEVEN TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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