# Accident 20020826020119A: Balwks FIREFLY7B15, Oklahomacity, OK, August 26, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 26, 2002, 19:40 local time - Place: Oklahomacity, OK - Phase of flight: Descent - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.3922° N, 97.6006° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.3922&lon=-97.6006&mi=10 - Aircraft: N242MS, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N242MS) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Balloon Works FIREFLY 7B-15 (registry code 1050119, https://openairdocs.org/model/balloon-works-firefly-7b-15) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BALWKS FIREFLY7B15 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 882 total, 320 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW02LA240](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA240) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020826020119A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON AUGUST 26, 2002, AT 1940 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BALLOON WORKS FIREFLY 7B-15 BALLOON, N242MS, WAS NOT DAMAGED DURING A HIGH WIND LANDING NEAR OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED, AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE BALLOON WAS REGISTERED TO THE PILOT AND ANOTHER PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND OPERATED BY FLYING HIGH BALLOON SERVICES, OKLAHOMA CITY. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AERIAL OBSERVATION FLIGHT. THE LOCAL BALLOON FLIGHT DEPARTED OKLAHOMA CITY AT 1910. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, HE CHECKED THE WEATHER CONDITIONS FROM SEVERAL WEATHER REPORTING SOURCES. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE LAUNCH SITE, THE PILOT SET OFF A PIBAL (WEATHER BALLOON) TO ASSESS THE WIND CONDITIONS. AT DEPARTURE, THE WIND WAS FROM 090 DEGREES AT 7 KNOTS. APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE SURFACE WINDS APPEARED TO BE INCREASING. THE PILOT BRIEFED THE PASSENGERS ON HIGH WIND LANDING PROCEDURES WHICH INCLUDED: SITTING DOWN ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BASKET, HOLD ON TO THE INTERIOR HANDLES, AND DO NOT GET OUT OF THE BASKET UNTIL TOLD TO DO SO BY THE PILOT. THE PILOT "EXECUTED A TEXTBOOK HIGH WIND LANDING." AFTER THE BALLOON CAME TO REST, THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS EXITED THE BALLOON BASKET; HOWEVER, ONE OF THE PASSENGERS MENTIONED THAT HER ANKLE WAS SORE. IT WAS DETERMINED BY MEDICAL PERSONNEL THAT THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A BROKEN ANKLE. (-23) THE BALLOON DEPARTED FROM A FIELD CLOSE TO THE INTERSECTION OF 33RD ST AND COLTRANE IN EDMOND, OK AT 7:10 P.M. ON AUGUST 26, 2002. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE SURFACE WINDS WERE PICKING UP AND DECIDED TO LAND. AFTER ADVISING THE TWO PASSENGERS OF A POSSIBLE ROUGH LANDING AND TO SIT ON THE FLOOR OF THE BASKET AND TO HOLD ON, THE PILOT STARTED AN APPROACH TO A VACANT FIELD CLOSE TO THE INTERSECTION OF 159TH ST AND PORTLAND IN THE NORTHERN PART OF OKLAHOMA CITY AND LANDED AT 7:40 P.M. AFTER THE LANDING THE FEMALE PASSENGER COMPLAINED OF A SORE ANKLE. THE FEMALE AND HER HUSBAND, ALSO A PASSENGER BOTH STATED THAT THEY BOTH THOUGHT THE ANKLE WAS SPRAINED AND THAT SHE DID NOT FOLLOW DIRECTION AS SHE HAD BEEN SITTING ON HER LEGS. ON THE MORNING OF AUGUST 27, 2002 THE PILOT CALLE D THE PASSENGER AND WAS TOLD THAT SHE HAD BEEN TO A HOSPITAL AND THAT HER ANKLE WAS BROKEN. (.4)ON AUGUST 26, 2002, AT 1940 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BALLOON WORKS FIREFLY 7B-15 BALLOON, N242MS, WAS NOT DAMAGED DURING A HIGH WIND LANDING NEAR OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED, AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE BALLOON WAS REGISTERED TO THE PILOT AND A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND OPERATED BY FLYING HIGH BALLOON SERVICES, OKLAHOMA CITY. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AERIAL OBSERVATION FLIGHT. THE LOCAL BALLOON FLIGHT DEPARTED EDMOND, OKLAHOMA, AT 1910. ACCORDING TO THE 883-HOUR PILOT, PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, HE CHECKED THE WEATHER CONDITIONS FROM SEVERAL WEATHER REPORTING SOURCES. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE LAUNCH SITE, THE PILOT SET OFF A PIBAL (WEATHER BALLOON) TO ASSESS THE WIND CONDITIONS. AT DEPARTURE, THE WIND WAS FROM 090 DEGREES AT 7 KNOTS. APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE SURFACE WINDS APPEARED TO BE INCREASING. THE PILOT BRIEFED THE PASSENGER S ON HIGH WIND LANDING PROCEDURES WHICH INCLUDED: SITTING DOWN ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BASKET, HOLD ON TO THE INTERIOR HANDLES, AND DO NOT GET OUT OF THE BASKET UNTIL TOLD TO DO SO BY THE PILOT. THE PILOT "EXECUTED A TEXTBOOK HIGH WIND LANDING." AFTER THE BALLOON CAME TO REST, THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS EXITED THE BALLOON BASKET; HOWEVER, ONE OF THE PASSENGERS MENTIONED THAT HER ANKLE WAS SORE. IT WAS DETERMINED BY MEDICAL PERSONNEL THAT THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A BROKEN ANKLE. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW02LA240](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA240), Aug 27, 2002: Balloon Works FireFly 7B-15 (N242MS), Oklahoma City, OK, no damage. Probable cause: the pilot's inadvertent flight into adverse weather conditions resulting in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the high wind. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.