20000409014929A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Balwks FIREFLY 7-15 · Anthony, NM · April 9, 2000

Date: April 9, 2000 · 08:15 local
Place: Anthony, NM
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N2571F
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN00LA071
Reported as: Balwks FIREFLY715
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 49 total49 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

N2571FRegistration cancelled May 6, 2015 · Balloon Works FIREFLY 7-15S/N F7-824 Airframe modelBalloon Works FIREFLY 7-15 Engine 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.

(.4) Following landing, and prior to the balloon being secured to the ground, the pilot shut down the burner and the passengers egressed from the basket contrary to the pilot's instructions, which were to stay in the basket until she told them to exit. As a result of the decrease in weight, the balloon lifted off and drifted into power lines. Because the burner was shut down, the pilot had no control in the vertical plane.

As the FAA filed it

(.4) FOLLOWING LANDING, AND PRIOR TO THE BALLOON BEING SECURED TO THE GROUND, THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE BURNER AND THE PASSENGERS EGRESSED FROM THE BASKET CONTRARY TO THE PILOT'S INSTRUCTIONS, WHICH WERE TO STAY IN THE BASKET UNTIL SHE TOLD THEM TO EXIT. AS A RESULT OF THE DECREASE IN WEIGHT, THE BALLOON LIFTED OFF AND DRIFTED INTO POWER LINES. BECAUSE THE BURNER WAS SHUT DOWN, THE PILOT HAD NO CONTROL IN THE VERTICAL PLANE.

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 DEN00LA071Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAnthony, NMFailure by the pilot to keep the burner operating until the balloon was secured. A factor was the passengers disregarding the instructions they had been given by the pilot.Apr 9, 2000 · Substantial damage