# Incident 19981212042029I: Balwks FIREFLY8B, Littleton, CO, December 12, 1998

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 12, 1998, 08:30 local time
- Place: Littleton, CO
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.5904° N, 105.0201° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Littleton, CO, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.5904&lon=-105.0201&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7121C, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7121C) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B (registry code 1050110, https://openairdocs.org/model/balloon-works-firefly-8b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BALWKS FIREFLY8B
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 100 total, 100 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981212042029I

## Narrative

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

(-5)PILOT REQUESTED SEVERAL WEATHER BRIEFINGS PRIOR TO FLIGHT. NONE OF THESE BRIEFINGS INDICATED A NEED FOR CONCERN FOR UNFAVORABLE WINDS.  PILOT EXPERIENCED ACCELERATED WIND CONDITIONS DURING LANDING ATTEMPT.  PILOT ABORTED LANDING ATTEMPT AND REINFLATED BALLOON FOR TAKEOFF AND WIND TOOK BALLOON INTO ROOF OF HOUSE DURING ABORTED LANDING.  PILOT AND PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED AND SECOND LANDING WAS SUCCESSFUL.  HOUSE WAS BUMPED BY BALLOON BASKET AT GUTTER AREA AND VERY MINOR DENT SUSTAINED IN GUTTER.  INCIDENT WAS RESULT OF UNFORCAST WIND GUSTS IN VICINITY OF INTENDED LANDING SITE.  DENVER FSDO BALLOON RATED INSPECTOR, DAVID GONZALES, INTERVIEWED PILOT AND ADVISED THAT NO CORRECTIVE ACTION NECESSARY, PILOT FOLLOWED PROPER PROCEDURES AND FLIGHT WAS SUBJUCTED TO UNFORCAST GUSTY WINDS.  PILOT STATEMENT ATTACHED TO THIS REPORT.

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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