# Accident 19981005039229A: Balwks FIREFLY8B15, Albuquerque, NM, October 5, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 5, 1998, 08:10 local time - Place: Albuquerque, NM - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.0592° N, 106.6198° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0592&lon=-106.6198&mi=10 - Aircraft: N3290G, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3290G) (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 FIREFLY8B15 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 703 total, 600 in this make and model, 47 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN99LA023](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99LA023) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981005039229A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.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. ## 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 DEN99LA023](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99LA023), Oct 5, 1998: Balloon Works Firefly 8B-15 (N3290G), Albuquerque, NM, no damage. Probable cause: The passenger not following high wind landing procedures/directives which were given to her by the pilot. A factor was the unforecasted high wind condition. ## Other reports on N3290G (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20020707022779I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020707022779I), Jul 7, 2002: Balwks FIREFLY8B15 (N3290G), Broomfield, CO, Minor damage. (-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… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.