# Accident 19880710071749A: Balwks FIREFLY8, Purcellville, VA, July 10, 1988

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 10, 1988, 19:30 local time
- Place: Purcellville, VA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.1384° N, 77.7082° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Purcellville, VA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.1384&lon=-77.7082&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7108 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BALWKS FIREFLY8
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB BFO88LA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/BFO88LA066) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880710071749A

## Narrative

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

ON LIFTOFF WIND BLEW BALLOON INTO FENCE AND POWER LINE. ROSE. HARD LANDING. EJECTED PILOT. HAD PASSENGER OPEN VENT.

## 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 BFO88LA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/BFO88LA066), Jul 10, 1988: Balloon Works AX-8 (N7108), Purcellville, VA, minor damage. Probable cause: THE PILOT LANDED THE HOT AIR BALLOON AT AN EXCESSIVE DESCENT RATE WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING. WIND GUST ARE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

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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