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20040213009539A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Balwks FIREFLY 11 · Cave Creek, AZ · February 13, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 13, 2004 · 09:30 local
Place
Cave Creek, AZ
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7244X
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX04LA123
Reported as
Balwks FIREFLY11
People aboard
8
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,521 total300 in this make and model36 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.

(-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 mile along the ground, colliding with the terrain. The balloon sustained substantial damage and 3 of the 10 passengers sustained minor injury.

As the FAA filed it

(-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 MILE ALONG THE GROUND, COLLIDING WITH THE TERRAIN. THE BALLOON SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND 3 OF THE 10 PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURY.

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 LAX04LA123Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPhoenix, AZthe failure of the deflation vent line, which resulted in the pilot not being able to control the balloon in the increased wind conditions.Feb 13, 2004 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7244X · 1

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

Accident 20000811040709ANormal Cruise · Phoenix, AZ(.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…Aug 11, 2000