# Accident 19971010045219A: Balwks FIREFLY11, Rancho Bernardo, CA, October 10, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 10, 1997, 18:22 local time
- Place: Rancho Bernardo, CA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.0187° N, 117.0609° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Rancho Bernardo, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.0187&lon=-117.0609&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2585Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2585Z-2017-03-21) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Balloon Works FIREFLY 11 (registry code 1050125, https://openairdocs.org/model/balloon-works-firefly-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BALWKS FIREFLY11
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,866 total, 69 in this make and model, 46 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA005](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA005) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971010045219A

## Narrative

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

THE PILOT AND 10 PASSENGERS DEPARTED FOR A SCENIC LATE AFTER NOON FLIGHT. THE TAKEOFF OCCURRED IN WIND CONDITIONS NEAR THE FAA DEMOSTRATED 7 KNOT MAXIMUM SPEED (FOR LANDING). AND AT A TIME WHEN LOCAL AIRPORTS REPORTED 10 KNOTS SURFACE WINDS. FOR SEVERAL MINUTES DURING THE FLIGHT THE PILOT FLEW IN CLOUDS. THE PASSENGERS REPORTED HEARING THE SOUND OF AN AIRPLANE AND BECAME CONCERNED. DURING THE FLIGHT THE WIND SPEED INCREASED. THE PILOT LANDED HARD N OVER 12 KNOTS OF WIND. THE BASKET SLID 150 TO 180 FEET. ROTATED 90 DEGREES, AND TUMBLED END OVER END EJECTING PASSENGERS.

## 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 LAX98LA005](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA005), Oct 11, 1997: Balloon Works Firefly 11 (N2585Z), Rancho Bernardo, CA, minor damage. Probable cause: The pilot's intentional flight in high wind conditions and his improper in-flight planning.

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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