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Accident
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FAA accident report · Balwks FIREFLY 11 · Phoenix, AZ · August 11, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 11, 2000 · 06:25 local
Place
Phoenix, AZ
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N7244X
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX00LA292
Reported as
Balwks FIREFLY11
People aboard
8
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,415 total375 in this make and model85 in the last 90 days
N7244XRegistration cancelled May 6, 2015 · Balloon Works FIREFLY 11S/N F11-008 · Built 2000Airframe modelBalloon Works FIREFLY 11Engine 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) On August 11, 2000, at 0625 hours mountain standard time, a balloon works firefly ii, N7244X, encountered unusual wind conditions and collided with the ground after the envelope partially collapsed about 4 miles northeast of the deer valley municipal airport, Phoenix, Arizona. The balloon, operated by hot air expeditions under 14 CFR part 91, was not damaged. The commercial balloon pilot and 7 passengers were not injured; 1 passenger received serious injuries; and 2 passengers received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local for-hire sightseeing flight that departed from a remote launch site at 0617 and was scheduled for a 1-hour flight with a termination at the launch site. The pilot stated in his written report that a preflight weather briefing contained no flight precautions for the proposed flight area. The launch site is in a flood control basin near a dam and surrounded by hills. Following launch, the pilot contoured a hill, and as the balloon neared the top, it encountered a wind shear the pilot described as a direction change of 70 degrees with a speed of 10 to 12 knots. The pilot said that on the lee side of the hill, he encountered a downdraft followed immediately by an updraft. The pilot said he believed he encountered a wind rotor. The rapid changes in air mass movement distorted the balloon envelope and resulted in spilling some of the heated air. The balloon then entered a rapid descent the pilot was unable to arrest with three burners going and collided with the ground. The METAR for the deer valley airport at the time of the accident was reporting winds from 100 degrees at 8 knots. The pilot did not report using pibals or other wind quantification devices prior to launch. (-23) pilot reported that after takeoff while climbing out the aircraft passed the top of a small hill and on the lee side a downdraft caused the balloon to descend rapidly and collided with the ground.

As the FAA filed it

(.4) ON AUGUST 11, 2000, AT 0625 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A BALLOON WORKS FIREFLY II, N7244X, ENCOUNTERED UNUSUAL WIND CONDITIONS AND COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND AFTER THE ENVELOPE PARTIALLY COLLAPSED ABOUT 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE DEER VALLEY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, PHOENIX, ARIZONA. THE BALLOON, OPERATED BY HOT AIR EXPEDITIONS UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, WAS NOT DAMAGED. THE COMMERCIAL BALLOON PILOT AND 7 PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED; 1 PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES; AND 2 PASSENGERS RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL FOR-HIRE SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT THAT DEPARTED FROM A REMOTE LAUNCH SITE AT 0617 AND WAS SCHEDULED FOR A 1-HOUR FLIGHT WITH A TERMINATION AT THE LAUNCH SITE. THE PILOT STATED IN HIS WRITTEN REPORT THAT A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING CONTAINED NO FLIGHT PRECAUTIONS FOR THE PROPOSED FLIGHT AREA. THE LAUNCH SITE IS IN A FLOOD CONTROL BASIN NEAR A DAM AND SURROUNDED BY HILLS. FOLLOWING LAUNCH, THE PILOT CONTOURED A HILL, AND AS THE BALLOON NEARED THE TOP, IT ENCOUNTERED A WIND SHEAR THE PILOT DESCRIBED AS A DIRECTION CHANGE OF 70 DEGREES WITH A SPEED OF 10 TO 12 KNOTS. THE PILOT SAID THAT ON THE LEE SIDE OF THE HILL, HE ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY AN UPDRAFT. THE PILOT SAID HE BELIEVED HE ENCOUNTERED A WIND ROTOR. THE RAPID CHANGES IN AIR MASS MOVEMENT DISTORTED THE BALLOON ENVELOPE AND RESULTED IN SPILLING SOME OF THE HEATED AIR. THE BALLOON THEN ENTERED A RAPID DESCENT THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO ARREST WITH THREE BURNERS GOING AND COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND. THE METAR FOR THE DEER VALLEY AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS REPORTING WINDS FROM 100 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT USING PIBALS OR OTHER WIND QUANTIFICATION DEVICES PRIOR TO LAUNCH. (-23) PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF WHILE CLIMBING OUT THE AIRCRAFT PASSED THE TOP OF A SMALL HILL AND ON THE LEE SIDE A DOWNDRAFT CAUSED THE BALLOON TO DESCEND RAPIDLY AND COLLIDED WITH 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 LAX00LA292Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPhoenix, AZThe pilot's failure to use pibals or other on site wind determination devices, and his subsequent failure to detect adverse wind conditions prior to launch of the balloon.Aug 11, 2000 · No damage

Other reports on N7244X · 1

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

Accident 20040213009539AOther Ground Ops · Cave Creek, AZ(-23) Pilot had just landed the balloon and was preparing to deflate the balloon. While the pilot was attempting to deflate the balloon the vent line broke. This allowed the balloon to become "buoyant" again. The winds dragged the balloon approximately 1/4…Feb 13, 2004 · Substantial damage