# Incident 20010703018319I: Balwks FIREFLY715, Jefferson City, MO, July 3, 2001

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 3, 2001, 19:30 local time
- Place: Jefferson City, MO
- Airport: Jefferson City Memorial
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: S0LM
- Location: 38.5912° N, 92.1561° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at JEFFERSON CITY MEML (JEF), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.5912&lon=-92.1561&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2598L, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2598L-2013-06-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Balloon Works FIREFLY 7-15 (registry code 1050118, https://openairdocs.org/model/balloon-works-firefly-7-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BALWKS FIREFLY715
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 670 total, 600 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010703018319I

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON JULY 3, 2001, MR. JAMES A. WOLTERS OPERATED BALLOON WORKS FIREFLY 7, N2598L, AS PILOT IN COMMAND. N2598L, WHICH IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE MISSOURI STATE LOTTERY, WAS BEING FLOWN OFF THE SOUTH CAPITAL LAWN AS PART OF THE ANNUAL 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION.  AT APPROXIMATELY 1930 CDT, DURING THE INITIAL PHASE OF THE BALLOON LAUNCH, MR. WOLTERS STRUCK THE CAPITAL FLAGPOLE WITH THE BALLOON ENVELOPE.  AS THE BALLOON ASCENDED, THE SIDE OF THE ENVELOPE BECAME CAUGHT ON THE ORNAMENTAL EAGLE AT THE TOP OF THE POLE RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE COVERING OF ONE VERTICAL LOAD TAPE.  MR. WOLTERS WAS ABLE TO FREE THE BALLOON FROM THE FLAGPOLE AND COMPLETE THE FLIGHT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

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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