19850723033859A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Balwks FIREFLY 7 · Brighton, CO · July 23, 1985

Date
July 23, 1985 · 06:45 local
Place
Brighton, CO
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N40501
NTSB investigation
NTSBDEN85FA196
Reported as
Balwks FIREFLY7
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
142 total0 in this make and model12 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.

Descent steepened on approach over powerlines. Gondola hit lines, burst into flames. Occupants jumped to ground.

As the FAA filed it

DESCENT STEEPENED ON APPROACH OVER POWERLINES. GONDOLA HIT LINES, BURST INTO FLAMES. OCCUPANTS JUMPED TO GROUND.

NTSB investigation

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