20040425007779I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Balwks FIREFLY 8B · Fresno, CA · April 25, 2004

Date: April 25, 2004 · 08:45 local
Place: Fresno, CA
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N7126Q
Reported as: Balwks FIREFLY8B
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 204 total75 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

N7126QRegistration cancelled Aug 22, 2005 · Balloon Works FIREFLY 8BS/N F8B-156 Airframe modelBalloon Works FIREFLY 8B 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 approach to landing in a field the pilot saw power lines in his approach path too late to climb above them. The pilot pulled the parachute top vent to deflate the balloon, then landed the balloon prior to the wind carrying the envelope into the power lines. The deflating envelope caused the power lines to draw in contact with each other. Fire ensued after the power lines arced.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON APPROACH TO LANDING IN A FIELD THE PILOT SAW POWER LINES IN HIS APPROACH PATH TOO LATE TO CLIMB ABOVE THEM. THE PILOT PULLED THE PARACHUTE TOP VENT TO DEFLATE THE BALLOON, THEN LANDED THE BALLOON PRIOR TO THE WIND CARRYING THE ENVELOPE INTO THE POWER LINES. THE DEFLATING ENVELOPE CAUSED THE POWER LINES TO DRAW IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER. FIRE ENSUED AFTER THE POWER LINES ARCED.