20010902033639I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Balwks FIREFLY 8B-15 · Correlles, NM · September 2, 2001

Date: September 2, 2001 · 08:30 local
Place: Correlles, NM
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N32896
Reported as: Balwks FIREFLY8B15
Pilot’s flight hours: 136 total120 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

N32896Registered now · Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15S/N F8B-550 · Built 1998 Airframe modelBalloon Works FIREFLY 8B-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.

(-23) On Sunday, September 2, 2001, at approximately 08:30, hot air balloon N32896 was making an approach for a landing on a vacant field next to manierre rd, in corrales, NM. The pilot stated that they saw the power lines and decided to proceed to the next vacant field on the other side of the power lines. He stated that they had seen the three power lines and a line beneath them, but that no one saw the upper line. The lower portion of the basket hit the higher line. The pilot light was extinguished and the fuel was turned off. The balloon slid down the line and a couple of pops were heard that caused minor damage to the fabric of the balloon. The corrales police dept. And the pnm power company were contacted and the balloon was removed from the wires and transported to the pilots home. There was only minor damage to the balloon and no damage to the power lines. There were no injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2001, AT APPROXIMATELY 08:30, HOT AIR BALLOON N32896 WAS MAKING AN APPROACH FOR A LANDING ON A VACANT FIELD NEXT TO MANIERRE RD, IN CORRALES, NM. THE PILOT STATED THAT THEY SAW THE POWER LINES AND DECIDED TO PROCEED TO THE NEXT VACANT FIELD ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE POWER LINES. HE STATED THAT THEY HAD SEEN THE THREE POWER LINES AND A LINE BENEATH THEM, BUT THAT NO ONE SAW THE UPPER LINE. THE LOWER PORTION OF THE BASKET HIT THE HIGHER LINE. THE PILOT LIGHT WAS EXTINGUISHED AND THE FUEL WAS TURNED OFF. THE BALLOON SLID DOWN THE LINE AND A COUPLE OF POPS WERE HEARD THAT CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE FABRIC OF THE BALLOON. THE CORRALES POLICE DEPT. AND THE PNM POWER COMPANY WERE CONTACTED AND THE BALLOON WAS REMOVED FROM THE WIRES AND TRANSPORTED TO THE PILOTS HOME. THERE WAS ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON AND NO DAMAGE TO THE POWER LINES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.