- Date
- February 6, 1999, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Beech Island, SC
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N32877Balloon Works AX-8
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 21, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990206001219A
- Case key
- 45718
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
The pilot's failure to follow the balloon checklist that resulted in a ground fire that destroyed the balloon envelope.
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
After landing, the pilot turned off the pilot light valves on the tanks but not on the burners. The pilot then started deflating the balloon and laid the basket over on its side. While exiting the basket, the pilot bumped the main valve. The flames from the burner ignited the balloon envelope, and started a ground fire. The Balloon Works Firefly Series Flight Manual states that, 'Just prior to touchdown: (1) Make sure that the Trigger Valve (and/or Fire 2 Valve if in use) is firmly closed, (2) Close the Pilot Light Safety Shut Off. Action (2) is a precaution against possibility that the pilot lights or accidental burning might damage the envelope or ignite anything at the landing site.'
Factual narrative
On February 6, 1999, at 1700 Eastern Standard Time, N32877, an AX-8 hot-air balloon manufactured by The Balloon Works, burst into flames and burned after landing near Beech Island, South Carolina. The balloon was operated by the pilot/owner under the provisions of Title 14 CFR 91, and visual flight rules. A flight plan was not filed for the local pleasure flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. There were no injuries to the pilot or the two passengers and the balloon was destroyed. The flight originated in Augusta, Georgia, about 1600 EST.
According to the pilot, after landing, he turned off the pilot light valves on the tanks but not on the burners. The pilot then started deflating the balloon and laid the basket over on its side. According to the pilot, while exiting the basket, he attempted to turn off the burner but bumped the main burner valve. The flames from the burner ignited the balloon envelope, and started a ground fire. No mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported by the pilot.
The Balloon Works Firefly Series Flight Manual states that, "Just prior to touchdown: (1) Make sure that the Trigger Valve (and/or Fire 2 Valve if in use) is firmly closed, (2) Close the Pilot Light Safety Shut Off. Action (2) is a precaution against possibility that the pilot lights or accidental burning might damage the envelope or ignite anything at the landing site." (See attached balloon flight manual).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N32877
- Reported as
- Balloon Works AX-8
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- F8-421
- Airframe hours
- 30
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas D. Fields, Jr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Augusta, GA
- Destination
- SC
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,081 total · 861 in this make and model · 1,016 as pilot in command · 42 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AGS, 6 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.