What happened
A commercial pilot with 2,486 hours of flight time was performing touch-and-go landings at a grass-strip airport where hot-air balloon operations were occurring in the vicinity. The airport owner observed the pilot performing several low passes over an area where a hot-air balloon had recently landed approximately 500 yards south of the runway. During these maneuvers, the pilot lost control of the single-engine airplane while flying at a low airspeed over the balloon. The aircraft crashed approximately one mile south of the airport.
The investigation
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage and found the tricycle gear airplane in a right wing low, nose down attitude. This position was consistent with a ground impact resulting from a stall/spin accident. The inspection revealed that the left wing was bent forward and the right main landing gear had folded under the fuselage. Although fuel was present in the tank at the time of the investigation, there was no post-impact fire. At the time of the accident, the wind was reported from 270 degrees at 6 knots.