No fatalities

AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL INC RX 8 accident at Canandaigua, NY, 8 Jul 2023

Canandaigua, NY, United States

On July 8, 2023, an AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL INC RX 8 was involved in an aviation accident near Canandaigua, NY. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain the proper descent rate during the balloon’s approach to landing, which resulted in a hard landing, the passenger’s leg hitting the gas tank, and serious injury. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain the proper descent rate during the balloon’s approach to landing, which resulted in a hard landing, the passenger’s leg hitting the gas tank, and serious injury.

— NTSB Determination

Contributing factors

PilotDescent rate — Not attained/maintained