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19981005039229A

Accident
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FAA accident report · Balwks FIREFLY 8B-15 · Albuquerque, NM · October 5, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 5, 1998 · 08:10 local
Place
Albuquerque, NM
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N3290G
NTSB investigation
NTSBDEN99LA023
Reported as
Balwks FIREFLY8B15
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
703 total600 in this make and model47 in the last 90 days
N3290GRegistered now · Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15S/N F8B-510Airframe modelBalloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15Engine 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.

(.19) On October 5, 1998, at 0808 mountain daylight time, a balloon works firefly 8B-15 balloon, N3290G, was not damaged during a high wind hard landing at Albuquerque, new Mexico. The commercial pilot and one of his passengers were not injured; however, a second passenger was seriously injured. Theballoon was owned by the pilot and was being operated by world balloons, LLC., of Albuquerque, new Mexico, under title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight which originated from the Albuquerque international balloon fiesta park approximately 53 minutes prior to the accident. No flight plan had been filed. According to the pilot, the surface wind velocity increased to 10 to 12 knots during the flight. He reported that he descended to lower altitudes several times to "test the wind conditions." He briefed his passengers and performed the landing. One passenger received a broken ankle. The injured passenger told one of the crew members that she had shifted her position just before touchdown and "she had not braced herself properly for the hard landing." (.4) on October 5, 1998, at 0810 mountain daylight time, a balloon works firefly 8B-15, N3290G, was not damaged during a high wind hard landing at Albuquerque, new Mexico. The commercial pilot and two of his passengers were not injured; however, a second passenger was seriously injured. The balloon was owned by the pilot and was being operated by world balloons, LLC., of Albuquerque, new Mexico, under title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight which originated from the Albuquerque international balloon fiesta park approximately 45 minutes prior to the accident. No flight plan had been filed. According to the pilot, the surface wind velocity increased to 10 to 12 knots during the flight. He reported to the investigator-in-charge that he descended to lower altitudes several times to "test the wind conditions." He briefed his passengers and performed the landing. One passenger received a broken ankle. The injured passenger told one of the crew members that she had shifted her position just before touchdown and "she had not braced herself properly for the hard landing. (-23) on 08/05/98, at 0808 mountain daylight time, a sightseeing passenger in a balloon works model firefly FF-8B (N3290G), operated by michael gianetti for world balloon, LLC., received serious injuries during a high wind landing in northeast Albuquerque, NM. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local sightseeing flight, which was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The flight originated from the kodak Albuquerque international balloon fiesta (kaibf) park approximately 53 minutes prior to the accident. The pilot-in-command stated he briefed to passengers on how to brace themselves for an expected high wind landing. The injured passenger later stated to the ground crew that she had failed to follow the pilot's instructions, which resulted in her sustaining injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON OCTOBER 5, 1998, AT 0808 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BALLOON WORKS FIREFLY 8B-15 BALLOON, N3290G, WAS NOT DAMAGED DURING A HIGH WIND HARD LANDING AT ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE OF HIS PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED; HOWEVER, A SECOND PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THEBALLOON WAS OWNED BY THE PILOT AND WAS BEING OPERATED BY WORLD BALLOONS, LLC., OF ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT WHICH ORIGINATED FROM THE ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA PARK APPROXIMATELY 53 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE SURFACE WIND VELOCITY INCREASED TO 10 TO 12 KNOTS DURING THE FLIGHT. HE REPORTED THAT HE DESCENDED TO LOWER ALTITUDES SEVERAL TIMES TO "TEST THE WIND CONDITIONS." HE BRIEFED HIS PASSENGERS AND PERFORMED THE LANDING. ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED A BROKEN ANKLE. THE INJURED PASSENGER TOLD ONE OF THE CREW MEMBERS THAT SHE HAD SHIFTED HER POSITION JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN AND "SHE HAD NOT BRACED HERSELF PROPERLY FOR THE HARD LANDING." (.4) ON OCTOBER 5, 1998, AT 0810 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BALLOON WORKS FIREFLY 8B-15, N3290G, WAS NOT DAMAGED DURING A HIGH WIND HARD LANDING AT ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND TWO OF HIS PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED; HOWEVER, A SECOND PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE BALLOON WAS OWNED BY THE PILOT AND WAS BEING OPERATED BY WORLD BALLOONS, LLC., OF ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT WHICH ORIGINATED FROM THE ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA PARK APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE SURFACE WIND VELOCITY INCREASED TO 10 TO 12 KNOTS DURING THE FLIGHT. HE REPORTED TO THE INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE THAT HE DESCENDED TO LOWER ALTITUDES SEVERAL TIMES TO "TEST THE WIND CONDITIONS." HE BRIEFED HIS PASSENGERS AND PERFORMED THE LANDING. ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED A BROKEN ANKLE. THE INJURED PASSENGER TOLD ONE OF THE CREW MEMBERS THAT SHE HAD SHIFTED HER POSITION JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN AND "SHE HAD NOT BRACED HERSELF PROPERLY FOR THE HARD LANDING. (-23) ON 08/05/98, AT 0808 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A SIGHTSEEING PASSENGER IN A BALLOON WORKS MODEL FIREFLY FF-8B (N3290G), OPERATED BY MICHAEL GIANETTI FOR WORLD BALLOON, LLC., RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES DURING A HIGH WIND LANDING IN NORTHEAST ALBUQUERQUE, NM. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE KODAK ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA (KAIBF) PARK APPROXIMATELY 53 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND STATED HE BRIEFED TO PASSENGERS ON HOW TO BRACE THEMSELVES FOR AN EXPECTED HIGH WIND LANDING. THE INJURED PASSENGER LATER STATED TO THE GROUND CREW THAT SHE HAD FAILED TO FOLLOW THE PILOT'S INSTRUCTIONS, WHICH RESULTED IN HER SUSTAINING INJURIES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB DEN99LA023Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAlbuquerque, NMThe passenger not following high wind landing procedures/directives which were given to her by the pilot. A factor was the unforecasted high wind condition.Oct 5, 1998 · No damage

Other reports on N3290G · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20020707022779ILevel Off Touchdown · Broomfield, CO(-23) Balloon was approaching jeffco airport airspace and pilot decided to land. Made steep approach to vacant building lots in subdivision. Wind was noted to be changing direction from southeast to east upon landing. Balloon touched down hard in a vacant lot…Jul 7, 2002 · Minor damage