20110916021719A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Balloon Works FIREFLY 8 · Mingo, IA · September 16, 2011

Date: September 16, 2011 · 19:30 local
Place: Mingo, IA
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N3181A
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN11CA654
Reported as: Balloon Works Firefly 8
Reported engine: NONE NONE
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 800 total320 in this make and model36 in the last 90 days

N3181ARegistration cancelled Jan 3, 2018 · Balloon Works FIREFLY 8S/N F8-413 Airframe modelBalloon Works FIREFLY 8 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.

During a hard landing in a hot air Balloon, a passenger on board suffered a broken ankle. The landing occurred in 10 knots of wind, which is near the normal maximum operating limits for ballooning. The pilot and other passenger had no injuries and the Balloon had no damage. The passengers were briefed by the pilot on proper posture to assume during landing, nevertheless, the injury occurred.

As the FAA filed it

DURING A HARD LANDING IN A HOT AIR BALLOON, A PASSENGER ON BOARD SUFFERED A BROKEN ANKLE. THE LANDING OCCURRED IN 10 KNOTS OF WIND, WHICH IS NEAR THE NORMAL MAXIMUM OPERATING LIMITS FOR BALLOONING. THE PILOT AND OTHER PASSENGER HAD NO INJURIES AND THE BALLOON HAD NO DAMAGE. THE PASSENGERS WERE BRIEFED BY THE PILOT ON PROPER POSTURE TO ASSUME DURING LANDING, NEVERTHELESS, THE INJURY OCCURRED.

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 CEN11CA654Accident · Serious injuriesData collectionFinal reportMingo, IAThe pilot’s failure to maintain control of the balloon’s descent during the landing, which resulted in the balloon having a hard landing in a ditch and causing a passenger to be seriously injured.Sep 17, 2011 · No damage

Other reports on N3181A · 1

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

Incident 20100928046599ICruise/Level Flight · Reasnor, IAWhile maneuvering the Balloon into position for the purpose of dropping a bean bag into a vehicle located on a road below, the pilot failed to maintain sufficient enough altitude to clear the power lines that ran across his flight path. This failure resulted…Sep 28, 2010 · Minor damage