# Accident 19850723033859A: Balwks FIREFLY7, Brighton, CO, July 23, 1985

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 23, 1985, 06:45 local time
- Place: Brighton, CO
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.9506° N, 104.7893° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.9506&lon=-104.7893&mi=10
- Aircraft: N40501, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N40501) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 (registry code 1050100, https://openairdocs.org/model/balloon-works-firefly-7) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BALWKS FIREFLY7
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 142 total, 0 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN85FA196](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN85FA196) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19850723033859A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB DEN85FA196](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN85FA196), Jul 23, 1985: Balloon Works Firefly 7 (N40501), Brighton, CO, destroyed

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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