20120316005309A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Firefly Balloons FIREFLY 8 · Fitzgerald, GA · March 16, 2012

Date: March 16, 2012 · 19:20 local
Place: Fitzgerald, GA
Airport: Fitzgerald Municipal
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N14643
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA12LA231
Reported as: Firefly Balloons Firefly 8
Reported engine: NONE NONE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,108 total115 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days

N14643Registration cancelled Jan 2, 2018 · Firefly Balloons FIREFLY 8S/N F8-2018 · Built 2007 Airframe modelFirefly Balloons 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.

While conducting skydiving operation, pilot observed storm to the east. Advised divers to bail. Tried to ride over the storm. Storm pulled the balloon into it and an updraft carried him to approximately 18,000 ft. balloon encountered severe hail and rain, envelope tore apart, collapsed, and fell at a rate of 2,000 ft per minute. Pilot and balloon were found at 1220 local time on Monday March 19th. Pilot pronounced dead at 1310.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE CONDUCTING SKYDIVING OPERATION, PILOT OBSERVED STORM TO THE EAST. ADVISED DIVERS TO BAIL. TRIED TO RIDE OVER THE STORM. STORM PULLED THE BALLOON INTO IT AND AN UPDRAFT CARRIED HIM TO APPROXIMATELY 18,000 FT. BALLOON ENCOUNTERED SEVERE HAIL AND RAIN, ENVELOPE TORE APART, COLLAPSED, AND FELL AT A RATE OF 2,000 FT PER MINUTE. PILOT AND BALLOON WERE FOUND AT 1220 LOCAL TIME ON MONDAY MARCH 19TH. PILOT PRONOUNCED DEAD AT 1310.

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 ERA12LA231Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportFitzgerald, GAThe pilot's intentional flight into adverse weather. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to obtain a weather briefing and his failure to follow the balloon manufacturer's published emergency procedure for weather deterioration during flight.Mar 16, 2012 · Substantial damage