NTSB CAROL · Event
Event WPR16LA070
Registry · N3647A
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL INC RX 8
Engine
NONE NONE
Seats / Engines
1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19900913
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A41E76
Registrant of record
SOWERS WILLIAM H
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind during the landing approach, which resulted in the balloon’s basket impacting a metal fence and a passenger sustaining serious injuries.
Factual narrative
On February 13, 2016, about 0830 Pacific standard time, an Aerostar International Inc. RX-8 hot air balloon, N3647A, impacted a fence during an approach to a field in Petaluma, California. The balloon was owned and operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules, revenue sightseeing flight under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 when the accident occurred. The pilot and two passengers were not injured, and one child passenger sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. In a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the pilot stated that he was making an approach to a field for landing at the end of the sightseeing flight. During the approach, he misjudged the wind, and the balloon was blown near a pipe fence, striking the fence with the basket. A child passenger, who was sitting down in the basket, sustained serious injuries during the event. After striking the fence, the balloon landed safely on an adjacent road. The balloon sustained minor damage. The commercial pilot was making an approach to a field for landing at the end of the sightseeing flight. During the approach, he misjudged the wind, which pushed the balloon near a metal fence and resulted in the balloon's basket striking the fence. The pilot then landed the balloon safely on an adjacent road. The balloon sustained minor damage, and a child passenger, who was sitting down in the basket, sustained serious injuries. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
- C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C
- C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-(general)-Response/compensation - C
- — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Fence/fence post-Contributed to outcome
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2016_WPR16LA070.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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