BEA - Office of Investigations and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety of the French Republic

04/17/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/17/2026 01:53

Accident to the Cameron Z180 registered F-HEOF operated by Air Touraine on 12/04/2026 at Chargé

Accident to the Cameron Z180 registered F-HEOF operated by Air Touraine on 12/04/2026 at Chargé

Collision with a power line during landing, separation of the gondola from the airframe, the gondola crashing to the ground, during a commercial flight

Responsible entity

France - BEA

Investigation progression In progress
Progress: 50%

The translation below is for information only:

During landing, the balloon's envelope cables struck a power line in the flight path. Upon impact, several electrical arcs severed the envelope cables. The envelope separated from the basket and fell to the ground.

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General information
Local date 12/04/2026
Responsible entity France - BEA
State or area of occurrence France - 37 Indre-et-Loire
Location Chargé
Human consequences Serious
Number of serious injuries 2
Aircraft consequences Substantial
Occurrence class Accident
Occurence category CTOL: Collision with obstacle(s) during take-off and landing
File number BEA2026-0134
Flight Information
Aircraft category Balloon
Operator France - Other (AIR TOURAINE)
Manufacturer / Model CAMERON - Z180
Aircraft Registration F-HEOF
State of registry France
Last departure point France - Other (Francueil (37))
Planned destination France - Other (Chargé (37))
Flight phase Landing
Serial number 11621
Operator Type AG
Operation Type Commercial Air Transport - Passenger - Sightseeing

BEA is the French air safety investigation authority for civil aviation. The sole objective of the investigation is to improve air safety. It is intended neither to apportion blame nor to assess responsiblity.

BEA - Office of Investigations and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety of the French Republic published this content on April 17, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 17, 2026 at 07:53 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]