Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On June 8, 2013 at 0750 mountain daylight time, an Ultramagic M-105 hot air balloon, N30018, impacted in an undeveloped industrial park during a high wind landing near Louisville, Colorado. The commercial pilot and 4 passengers on board were not uninjured, and the balloon sustained minor damage. The balloon was owned and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 as a business flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The flight originated from Gunbarrel, Colorado, about 0700.

The pilot reported he took off around the same time several other ride balloons that were flying that day took off. He said that he received the same weather forecast the other pilots received. The weather was nice. There were no concerns. "It was a typical ride balloon day." The pilot said that about half an hour into the flight the wind began picking up. He got into the landing mode. He said at that point the first good field he could put down in he was taking it. He briefed the passengers that when they hit the ground the balloon would tip over and drag to a stop. Everyone was ready. The pilot said that at altitude, looking at the surface, he couldn't discern what the winds were doing. Where he was at, the balloon was heading northeasterly, which is the direction he wanted to go. However, as they got closer to the surface, the wind started taking them south, then southeast. The pilot said he took the balloon back up to 1,500 feet agl so that he could drift more toward the southeast. He then started hunting for a good spot to touchdown. "For me it was the direction. I could see where the others were going and I didn't want to go that way."

The pilot determined he'd land in a field on the north side of a highway. At first, he didn't think he'd make the field as it was a long way off, and the wind was actually now taking them around to the north. However as they reached the north end of the field, the wind caused the balloon's path to curve around bringing them right back to it. "We were going to take it." The pilot said on coming in to land he could feel cold air coming into his face. The balloon was accelerating. The pilot leveled off about 10 feet above the ground and then opened up the top of the envelope. He said they hit the ground pretty solid, stuck there, and dragged. He said they were dragged about 100 feet before stopping. After they were stopped, he got everyone out and checked them. Everyone was alright.

The National Weather Service (NWS) Surface Analysis Chart at 0600 MDT depicted a low pressure system over North Dakota with an associated occluded front al system extending from the low south-southeast to another low pressure system over South Dakota where the triple point of the front was located. There it split into a warn front to the southeast and a cold front to the southwest across Nebraska and northern Colorado, and then west-northwest back into Wyo