# Incident 20040425007779I: Balwks FIREFLY8B, Fresno, CA, April 25, 2004

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 25, 2004, 08:45 local time
- Place: Fresno, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.7477° N, 119.7724° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Fresno, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.7477&lon=-119.7724&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7126Q, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7126Q-2005-08-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B (registry code 1050110, https://openairdocs.org/model/balloon-works-firefly-8b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BALWKS FIREFLY8B
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 204 total, 75 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040425007779I

## Narrative

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

(-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.

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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