History of Flight
On June 15, 2014, about 0716 eastern daylight time, a Cameron Balloons US Z-225 balloon, registration N65625, experienced an accident during landing in a field near Spring City, Pennsylvania. The commercial-rated pilot sustained fatal injuries when he fell from the basket. The 10 passengers were not injured. The basket and envelope sustained no damage. The balloon was registered to Morning Star Visions and operated by The United States Hot Air Balloon Team as a local revenue sightseeing flight under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 0636 from Pottstown Municipal Airport, Pottstown, Pennsylvania.
A crew member of the operator reported speaking with the pilot before the flight. The pilot appeared to be in good spirits, healthy, and his normal self, with no mention of feeling ill or having health issues.
Passengers consistently reported receiving a safety briefing before takeoff, which included instructions for landing such as holding onto ropes, keeping arms and hands inside the basket, and squatting or bracing. Several passengers considered the instructions too brief and lacking details about balloon operation. One passenger noted the landing procedure was practiced before departure.
The pilot was alert and talkative throughout the flight until preparing for landing. During the flight, a passenger mentioned a landmark unknown to the pilot, which was relayed to the ground crew. Several passengers said the pilot advised that the basket might contact trees to reduce forward speed. Before landing, he instructed them to bend their knees and hold the ropes. Several passengers reported increasing wind. The descent was steep, and the touchdown was hard.
One passenger who had expressed interest in the balloon and observed the pilot throughout noticed him pulling ropes to deflate the envelope. At touchdown, the pilot reached for a control rope, lost his balance, and was ejected from the basket. That passenger then stood up from a crouch and pulled the ropes to deflate the envelope. After touchdown, the basket tilted forward and came to rest. Passengers attended to the pilot and called 911. Several passengers reported the pilot appeared anxious and sweating during the flight but did not express health issues aloud.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 47, held a commercial pilot certificate with lighter-than-air free balloon limited to hot air balloons with airborne heater, issued July 25, 2006. He also held a private pilot certificate with airplane single engine land rating. His last third-class medical certificate was issued March 16, 2009, and expired March 31, 2010. The last flight review occurred on May 25, 2014, in the accident balloon.
According to the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report, the pilot's total lighter-than-air time was 570 hours. A logbook review from December 29, 2013 to June 4, 2014 showed about 44 hours logged (excluding errors), with about 10 hours in the accident balloon. He logged 28 and 19 hours in the last 90 and 30 days, respectively.
The pilot had a history of a 75-day suspension of his commercial certificate in 2007 for operating an unairworthy balloon on revenue flights. He underwent an FAA re-examination on November 5, 2009, and was approved to exercise his privileges.
Aircraft Information
The balloon, manufactured in 2011, was a Cameron Balloons US Z-225, serial number 6630. It featured a "Delta II" basket with five burner tanks and a pilot compartment in the middle, with a maximum occupant capacity of 12. The last annual inspection occurred August 15, 2013, at 244 hours total time. The balloon had accumulated 94 hours since that inspection at the time of the accident.
Meteorological Information
A surface observation at Heritage Field Airport (PTW) at 0654, about 22 minutes before the accident, reported wind from 310 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 9 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 14°C, dewpoint 10°C, and altimeter 30.14 inHg. The accident site was about 170 degrees and 4.5 nautical miles from PTW.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The basket came to rest upright in a field of newly planted corn at 40°09′50.40″N, 075°32′22.14″W. The initial ground contact was about 96 feet from the final resting position. No damage to the basket or envelope was reported; dirt adhered to the top rail and side. The FAA inspector noted no restraining belt or harness in the pilot's compartment.
The operator reported 50% fuel remaining.
Additional Information
The balloon was equipped with a Garmin GPSMap 62s that recorded a detailed tracklog. The accident flight data showed 847 data points from liftoff at 0637 to rest at 0717:09. The final portion showed the balloon crossing a road at 282 feet GPS altitude and 11 knots groundspeed, then descending toward a field at about 10 knots.
Medical and pathological information revealed that a postmortem examination listed the cause of death as neck injuries. Toxicology tests detected bupropion, cetirizine, desmethylsildenafil, sildenafil, and rosuvastatin. The pilot had diagnoses of type 1 diabetes, depression, and high cholesterol. His medical certificate had expired in 2010; a medical certificate was not required for balloon operations with passengers.