20130511010559A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 · Anthony, KS · May 11, 2013

Date: May 11, 2013 · 07:00 local
Place: Anthony, KS
Airport: Anthony Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N3171L
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN13CA278
Reported as: Balloon Works Firefly 8B-15
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 415 total5 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days

N3171LRegistered now · Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15S/N F8B-493 · Built 1996 Airframe modelBalloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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.

The Balloon with the pilot and two passengers lifted off and obtained an altitude of approximately 200 feet. The pilot was in the process of setting the instruments in the aircraft and allowed the aircraft to settle. The Balloon experienced uncontrolled lift and the wind direction changed slightly as the Balloon assended. The temperature was cool which allowed the envelope temperature to cool quicker than the pilot anticipated it would. The pilot stated that he was not in complete control of the aircraft and lost situational awareness thus allowing the Balloon to settle to the ground. The basket was sitting on the ground and the envelope draped over the airport beacon tower at the Anthony Municipal Airport, Anthony, KS causing substantial damage to the envelope. Neither the pilot nor the passengers were injured in the accident. The envelope was further damaged in the process of removing it from the tower.

As the FAA filed it

THE BALLOON WITH THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS LIFTED OFF AND OBTAINED AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET. THE PILOT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF SETTING THE INSTRUMENTS IN THE AIRCRAFT AND ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO SETTLE. THE BALLOON EXPERIENCED UNCONTROLLED LIFT AND THE WIND DIRECTION CHANGED SLIGHTLY AS THE BALLOON ASSENDED. THE TEMPERATURE WAS COOL WHICH ALLOWED THE ENVELOPE TEMPERATURE TO COOL QUICKER THAN THE PILOT ANTICIPATED IT WOULD. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS NOT IN COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS THUS ALLOWING THE BALLOON TO SETTLE TO THE GROUND. THE BASKET WAS SITTING ON THE GROUND AND THE ENVELOPE DRAPED OVER THE AIRPORT BEACON TOWER AT THE ANTHONY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, ANTHONY, KS CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ENVELOPE. NEITHER THE PILOT NOR THE PASSENGERS WERE INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE ENVELOPE WAS FURTHER DAMAGED IN THE PROCESS OF REMOVING IT FROM THE TOWER.

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 CEN13CA278Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportAnthony, KSThe pilot’s failure to monitor the balloon's altitude, which resulted in the balloon impacting an airport rotating beacon tower.May 11, 2013 · Substantial damage