NTSB CAROL · Event
Event WPR21LA155
Registry · N9051Y
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL INC RX 8
Year of manufacture
1992 · 28 years old at event
Engine
AMA/EXPR UNKNOWN ENG
Seats / Engines
1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19921118
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AC8451
Registrant of record
GNEITING SCOTT J
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the balloon and a member of the ground crews entanglement with a tether rope, which resulted in a serious injury when they fell to the ground after the balloon unexpectedly ascended.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the balloon reported that, after landing and while the ground crew were in the process of securing the balloon, the driver of the chase truck attempted to help secure the balloon by grabbing a rope tethered to the balloon. While placing the rope in the rope’s storage bag, the balloon unexpectedly ascended, and the driver’s glove became entangled between the rope and bag. The balloon ascended about 20 ft in the air, and while the pilot was pulling the red line to top the ascent, the driver’s glove released from the rope and bag. The driver fell to the ground sustaining a serious injury. The pilot subsequently landed the balloon without further incident or damage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation. 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).
- — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
- — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Ground crew
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2020_WPR21LA155.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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