# Incident 19950304011219I: Balwks FIREFLY*, Thermal, CA, March 4, 1995

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 4, 1995, 05:45 local time
- Place: Thermal, CA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.6262° N, 116.1308° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Thermal, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6262&lon=-116.1308&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2556W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2556W-2013-08-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Balloon Works FIRE FLY 10 (registry code 1050300, https://openairdocs.org/model/balloon-works-fire-fly-10) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BALWKS FIREFLY*
- People aboard: 11
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,000 total, 200 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950304011219I

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE: SHORTLY AFTER LAUNCH, N2556W DRIFTED OVER AND COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER BALLOON (N4199K) THAT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF HOT INFLATION. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT OF N2556W, THIS DRIFTOVER WAS CAUSED BY AN UNANTICIPATED WIND SHIFT AFTER LAUNCH. THE PILOT OF N4199K REPORTED THE WINDS AT THE LAUNCH SITE TO BE LIGHT AND VARIABLE. COLLISION OCCURRED WHILE N2556W WAS APPROXIMATELY 50' AGL. N4199K WAS NOT YET READY FOR FLIGHT. ONLY THE TOP HALF OF N4199K'S ENVELOPE WAS ERECT AND NO ONE HAD YET BOARDED THE GONDOLA. THIS INCIDENT IS CLOSED.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.