19800420010779A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Balwks FIREFLY 7 · Hurricane, WV · April 20, 1980

Date
April 20, 1980 · 11:40 local
Place
Hurricane, WV
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N40452
NTSB investigation
NTSBIAD80FA039
Reported as
Balwks FIREFLY7
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
13 total13 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Flew balloon with known fabric damage & faulty repairs into mountain terrain with gusty wind. Fabric failed.

As the FAA filed it

FLEW BALLOON WITH KNOWN FABRIC DAMAGE & FAULTY REPAIRS INTO MOUNTAIN TERRAIN WITH GUSTY WIND. FABRIC FAILED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

Other reports on N40452 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.