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19990523021549A

Accident
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FAA accident report · Balwks FIREFLY 7 · Gasburg, VA · May 23, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 23, 1999 · 08:10 local
Place
Gasburg, VA
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N9070T
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC99LA118
Reported as
Balwks FIREFLY7
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
830 total338 in this make and model16 in the last 90 days
N9070TRegistration cancelled Mar 13, 2018 · Balloon Works FIREFLY 7S/N F7-470 · Built 1989Airframe modelBalloon Works FIREFLY 7Engine 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.

On may 23, 1999, about 0710 eastern daylight time, a balloon works, firefly-7, N9070T, was not damaged while landing in a field near Gasburg, Virginia. The certificated pilot and one passenger were not injured. A second passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The pilot stated in a telephone interview that he was a participant in a balloon race. The balloon launched under light wind conditions, about 0700. As the balloon was approaching the first steerage, the wind began to increase in velocity and sudden horizontal wind-shears were encountered. The pilot decided to abort the race, and land in a field located ahead of the balloon. Several other balloons had used the field to land, due to encountering the same type of winds. The balloon neared the ground, at a speed of approx. 15 knots, and started to collapse from the horizontal wind-shears. The basket touched down, dragged along the ground, struck a large hay ball, and rolled over. After the impact with the hay bail, the balloon collapsed completely to the ground. An airport located 10 miles to the north- west, reported clear skies, winds from 210 degrees at 6 knots. (.4)the hot air balloon launched under light wind conditions. As the balloon was approaching the first steerage, at about 50 feet above the ground, the pilot had to climb the balloon to 300 feet to complete the turn. During the climb, a windshear flattened out one side of the balloon, re-inflating a moment later, violently shaking the entire aircraft. The pilot decided to abort the flight. A hay field was spotted about 4 miles ahead of the balloon. As the balloon neared the ground, the winds continued to blow, and the basket collided with a hay bail, at a speed of about 15 knots. After impacting the hay bail, the basket touched down, dragged along the ground, and rolled over. The balloon then collapsed completely to the ground.

As the FAA filed it

ON MAY 23, 1999, ABOUT 0710 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BALLOON WORKS, FIREFLY-7, N9070T, WAS NOT DAMAGED WHILE LANDING IN A FIELD NEAR GASBURG, VIRGINIA. THE CERTIFICATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. A SECOND PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT STATED IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW THAT HE WAS A PARTICIPANT IN A BALLOON RACE. THE BALLOON LAUNCHED UNDER LIGHT WIND CONDITIONS, ABOUT 0700. AS THE BALLOON WAS APPROACHING THE FIRST STEERAGE, THE WIND BEGAN TO INCREASE IN VELOCITY AND SUDDEN HORIZONTAL WIND-SHEARS WERE ENCOUNTERED. THE PILOT DECIDED TO ABORT THE RACE, AND LAND IN A FIELD LOCATED AHEAD OF THE BALLOON. SEVERAL OTHER BALLOONS HAD USED THE FIELD TO LAND, DUE TO ENCOUNTERING THE SAME TYPE OF WINDS. THE BALLOON NEARED THE GROUND, AT A SPEED OF APPROX. 15 KNOTS, AND STARTED TO COLLAPSE FROM THE HORIZONTAL WIND-SHEARS. THE BASKET TOUCHED DOWN, DRAGGED ALONG THE GROUND, STRUCK A LARGE HAY BALL, AND ROLLED OVER. AFTER THE IMPACT WITH THE HAY BAIL, THE BALLOON COLLAPSED COMPLETELY TO THE GROUND. AN AIRPORT LOCATED 10 MILES TO THE NORTH- WEST, REPORTED CLEAR SKIES, WINDS FROM 210 DEGREES AT 6 KNOTS. (.4)THE HOT AIR BALLOON LAUNCHED UNDER LIGHT WIND CONDITIONS. AS THE BALLOON WAS APPROACHING THE FIRST STEERAGE, AT ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE PILOT HAD TO CLIMB THE BALLOON TO 300 FEET TO COMPLETE THE TURN. DURING THE CLIMB, A WINDSHEAR FLATTENED OUT ONE SIDE OF THE BALLOON, RE-INFLATING A MOMENT LATER, VIOLENTLY SHAKING THE ENTIRE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT DECIDED TO ABORT THE FLIGHT. A HAY FIELD WAS SPOTTED ABOUT 4 MILES AHEAD OF THE BALLOON. AS THE BALLOON NEARED THE GROUND, THE WINDS CONTINUED TO BLOW, AND THE BASKET COLLIDED WITH A HAY BAIL, AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 15 KNOTS. AFTER IMPACTING THE HAY BAIL, THE BASKET TOUCHED DOWN, DRAGGED ALONG THE GROUND, AND ROLLED OVER. THE BALLOON THEN COLLAPSED COMPLETELY TO THE GROUND.

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 NYC99LA118Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGasburg, VAThe unforecast high winds that required the pilot in command to make a precautionary landing.May 23, 1999 · No damage