# Accident 19980530011779A: Balwks FIREFLY715, Waterloo, IA, May 30, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 30, 1998, 06:55 local time
- Place: Waterloo, IA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.4908° N, 92.3502° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.4908&lon=-92.3502&mi=10
- Aircraft: N25491, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N25491-2019-11-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Balloon Works FIREFLY 7-15 (registry code 1050118, https://openairdocs.org/model/balloon-works-firefly-7-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BALWKS FIREFLY715
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 582 total, 582 in this make and model, 1 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA184](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA184) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980530011779A

## Narrative

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

CONTACTED WIRES DURING APPROACH TO LANDING AREA. BASKET LODGED ON POWER POLE.(-23) WHILE ON APPROACH TO A DESIGNATED TARGET/LANDING AREA, THE BALLOON CONTACTED POWER LINES. THE PASSENGERS AND BALLOON BASKET BECAME LODGED ON A POWER POLE. (.4) THE ACCIDENT BALLOON WAS PART OF A BALLOON RALLY.  THE PILOT REPORTED TRAVELLED TO A TARGET DROP AREA NEAR THE WATERLOO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.  HE REPORTED THAT AFTER DROPPING THE 'BAGGIE' A GUST OF WIND CAUSED THE BALLOON TO COLLIDED WITH POWERLINES NORTHWEST OF THE TARGET AREA.  AFTER CONTACTING THE WIRES THE BALLOON SLID HORIZONTALLY DOWN THE WIRES UNTIL THE BASKET CAME TO REST ALONGSIDE A POWER POLE.  THE PILOT SECURED THE BASKET TO THE POLE USING A ROPE AND WAITED FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS UNTIL HE AND THE PASSENGER WERE LOWERED OUT OF THE BASKET BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.  CALM WINDS WERE REPORTED IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

## 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 CHI98LA184](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA184), May 30, 1998: Balloon Works Firefly 7-15 (N25491), Waterloo, IA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the power lines during climb. A factor was the power lines.

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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