19961225044769I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Balwks FIREFLY 6B · New Braunfels, TX · December 25, 1996

Date: December 25, 1996 · 16:52 local
Place: New Braunfels, TX
Phase of flight: Final Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N2376H
Reported as: Balwks FIREFLY6B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 28 total20 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

N2376HRegistration cancelled Aug 14, 2012 · Balloon Works FIREFLY 6BS/N 6723 · Built 1978 Airframe modelBalloon Works FIREFLY 6B Engine modelNONENone

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.

Narrative: on December 25, 1996, nathan ray flugrath launched his hot air balloon at 4:30 pm, from an ultra-light field off of FM444, near New Braunfels. When he took off with the hot air balloon his operating pressure was showing 80 PSI (normal is 125-140 PSI). He told me the minimum pressure for liftoff is 60-70 PSI. When he was making his final approach to land the hot air balloon was very sluggish and unstable because of the low tank pressure. The hot air balloon hit the power lines and crashed 7NM southwest of New Braunfels, Texas at 1652C. Mr flugrath sustained no injuries and the hot air balloon had minor damage. One set of support cables was damaged and the wicker basket had a gouge in it. He also stated that when they were moving the hot air balloon the fabric was slightly torn. Mr. Flugrath was the pilot and only occupant in the hot air balloon. He is a student pilot and was unfamiliar with what could happen when you encounter low tank pressure in a hot air balloon.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON DECEMBER 25, 1996, NATHAN RAY FLUGRATH LAUNCHED HIS HOT AIR BALLOON AT 4:30 PM, FROM AN ULTRA-LIGHT FIELD OFF OF FM444, NEAR NEW BRAUNFELS. WHEN HE TOOK OFF WITH THE HOT AIR BALLOON HIS OPERATING PRESSURE WAS SHOWING 80 PSI (NORMAL IS 125-140 PSI). HE TOLD ME THE MINIMUM PRESSURE FOR LIFTOFF IS 60-70 PSI. WHEN HE WAS MAKING HIS FINAL APPROACH TO LAND THE HOT AIR BALLOON WAS VERY SLUGGISH AND UNSTABLE BECAUSE OF THE LOW TANK PRESSURE. THE HOT AIR BALLOON HIT THE POWER LINES AND CRASHED 7NM SOUTHWEST OF NEW BRAUNFELS, TEXAS AT 1652C. MR FLUGRATH SUSTAINED NO INJURIES AND THE HOT AIR BALLOON HAD MINOR DAMAGE. ONE SET OF SUPPORT CABLES WAS DAMAGED AND THE WICKER BASKET HAD A GOUGE IN IT. HE ALSO STATED THAT WHEN THEY WERE MOVING THE HOT AIR BALLOON THE FABRIC WAS SLIGHTLY TORN. MR. FLUGRATH WAS THE PILOT AND ONLY OCCUPANT IN THE HOT AIR BALLOON. HE IS A STUDENT PILOT AND WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH WHAT COULD HAPPEN WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER LOW TANK PRESSURE IN A HOT AIR BALLOON.