- Date
- June 6, 1987, 07:50 local (11:50 UTC)
- Place
- Kannapolis, NC
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1511ABalloon Works Firefly 7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870606061349A
- Case key
- 7444
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The balloon pilot was executing a landing approach to a clear area. He failed to see and avoid electrical power lines on the near side of the field as he made his approach. The balloon collided with the power lines and the basket landed hard. The balloon remained draped over the power lines after the basket came to a stop. The pilot sustained serious electrical shock injuries and one of the passengers was electrocuted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1511A
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Firefly 7
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- F7-017
- Airframe hours
- 187
- Engine
- Unknown UNKNOWN, unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William S. Page
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 12, 1987 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- Kannapolis, NC
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 121 total · 121 in this make and model · 93 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 45° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.