# Incident 19970720027279I: Balwks FIREFLY8, Charles City, IA, July 20, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 20, 1997, 20:30 local time
- Place: Charles City, IA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Other Ground Ops
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.0622° N, 92.6715° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Charles City, IA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.0622&lon=-92.6715&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3209M, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3209M) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 (registry code 1050111, https://openairdocs.org/model/balloon-works-firefly-8b-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BALWKS FIREFLY8
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 25 total, 7 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970720027279I

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE: DEPARTED FROM A FARM FIELD ON A SUPERVISED SOLO FLIGHT. THE STUDENT PILOT FLEW APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES AND LANDED. THE BALLOON ENVELOPE HAD DEFLATED AND WAS ON THE GROUND. WHILE THE STUDENT PILOT WAS IN THE BASKET SECURING THE BURNER, THE WIND INCREASED LIFTING THE BALLOON OFF THE GROUND AND INTO NEARBY TREES. THE STUDENT EVACUATED THE BASKET WITH THE "DROP LINE". THIS INCIDENT IS CLOSED WITH THIS REPORT. INCIDENT #ICE01970031

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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