AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL S53A accident at Albuquerque, NM, 7 Oct 2022

On October 7, 2022, an AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL S53A operated by Steven C. Derebey was involved in an aviation accident near Albuquerque, NM. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s inability to find a suitable landing area in a critical fuel situation and his decision to land on a highway, which resulted in the balloon impacting a bridge railing and terrain. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.