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20040925031109A

Accident · Minor damage
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FAA accident report · Galaxy GALAXY 9 · Fairlea, WV · September 25, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 25, 2004 · 18:30 local
Place
Fairlea, WV
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2200Z
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC04LA217
Reported as
Galaxy Galaxy 9
People aboard
7
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
135 total75 in this make and model28 in the last 90 days
N2200ZRegistration cancelled May 19, 2008 · Firefly Balloons GALAXY 9S/N GLX-1069 · Built 2003Airframe modelFirefly Balloons GALAXY 9Engine 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) According to the passengers, they had landed in a field and all of the occupants had exited the balloon when a small airplane flew "very low" over the top of the still inflated balloon. At the same time, the balloon began to ascend with the pilot hanging onto the outside of the basket. The balloon continued to ascend with the pilot still hanging from the basket. The basket reached a height of approximately 80 feet above ground level when the pilot fell from the basket.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ACCORDING TO THE PASSENGERS, THEY HAD LANDED IN A FIELD AND ALL OF THE OCCUPANTS HAD EXITED THE BALLOON WHEN A SMALL AIRPLANE FLEW "VERY LOW" OVER THE TOP OF THE STILL INFLATED BALLOON. AT THE SAME TIME, THE BALLOON BEGAN TO ASCEND WITH THE PILOT HANGING ONTO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BASKET. THE BALLOON CONTINUED TO ASCEND WITH THE PILOT STILL HANGING FROM THE BASKET. THE BASKET REACHED A HEIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY 80 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL WHEN THE PILOT FELL FROM THE BASKET.

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 NYC04LA217Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportLewisburg, WVThe pilot's improper decision to attempt to board the balloon while it was ascending.Sep 25, 2004 · Minor damage