19810502022439A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Balwks FIREFLY 7-B · Normal, IL · May 2, 1981

Date
May 2, 1981 · 17:45 local
Place
Normal, IL
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N15443
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI81DEV17
Reported as
Balwks FIREFLY7B
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
272 total58 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.

Balloon made rapid descent and hard landing, then drifted into powerlines. Possible wind shear or downdraft.

As the FAA filed it

BALLOON MADE RAPID DESCENT AND HARD LANDING, THEN DRIFTED INTO POWERLINES. POSSIBLE WIND SHEAR OR DOWNDRAFT.

NTSB investigation

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