# NTSB CEN11CA654: Balloon Works Firefly 8, N3181A, Mingo, IA, September 17, 2011 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: September 16, 2011, 19:30 local (Sep 17, 2011, 00:30 UTC) - Place: Mingo, IA - Coordinates: 41.766944, -93.283607 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.7669&lon=-93.2836&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 1, 2011 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 81843 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN11CA654 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/81843/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=81843 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11CA654 ## Probable cause The 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. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Wind: high wind](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034055): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Balloon Works FIREFLY 8, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034055/cases.md?model=1050109), [All aircraft, 112 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034055/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: descent rate](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not specified (probable cause); cases with it: [Balloon Works FIREFLY 8, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037/cases.md?model=1050109), [All aircraft, 242 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Balloon Works FIREFLY 8, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=1050109), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Balloon Works FIREFLY 8, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=1050109), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) ## Analysis During a balloon flight, the pilot advised the two passengers to face in the direction of travel and to bend their knees when they land. The pilot also indicated to the passengers that momentum would propel the basket occupants forward during the landing. The wind at the time of landing reportedly gave the balloon a 9 mph groundspeed. The pilot executed a touchdown into a ditch alongside a highway after making a landing approach over a soybean field. The basket subsequently laid over on its side. One passenger sustained a serious ankle injury during the hard landing. The pilot and the other passenger were not injured and the balloon was not damaged. According to the pilot, the injured passenger indicated that her knees were bent before landing. He stated that he would instruct future passengers to point their toes in the direction of travel and add a question to his passenger questionnaire to inquire if a passenger had a medical condition that would cause the passenger to have weak bones. ## Factual narrative During a balloon flight, the pilot advised the two passengers to face in the direction of travel and to bend their knees when they land. The wind at the time of landing reportedly gave the balloon a nine mph groundspeed. The pilot also indicated to the passengers that momentum would propel the basket occupants forward during the landing. The pilot executed a touch down into a ditch alongside a highway after making a landing approach over a soybean field. The basket subsequently laid over on its side. One passenger sustained a serious ankle injury during the hard landing. The pilot and the other passenger were not injured and the balloon was not damaged. According to the pilot, the injured passenger indicated that her knees were bent before landing. The pilot stated that he would instruct future passengers to point their toes in the direction of travel and add a question to his passenger questionnaire to inquire if a passenger had a medical condition that would cause the passenger to have weak bones. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3181A](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3181A-2018-01-03), registration cancelled 2018-01-03, S/N F8-413 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BALLOON WORKS FIREFLY 8 - Registry model: [Balloon Works FIREFLY 8](https://openairdocs.org/model/balloon-works-firefly-8) (registry code 1050109) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Balloon - Serial number: F8-413 - Airframe hours: 735 - Damage: No damage - Flight: Aerial observation, Part 91 - Operator: Diamondjake Ballooning DBA - Registered owner: Diamondjake Ballooning DBA - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 1, 2011 - Departed: Newton, IA - Destination: Mingo, IA ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 52; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; last flight review May 9, 2010; flight hours: 800 total, 320 in this make and model, 780 as pilot in command, 36 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dusk - Wind: 130° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 2,900 ft overcast - Temperature: 55 °F, dew point 45 °F - Altimeter: 30.22 inHg - Observed at: TNU, 13 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20110916021719A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110916021719A), Sep 16, 2011: Balloon Works FIREFLY 8, Mingo, IA, No damage. 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… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 25, 2011, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=81843. 543 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 543 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40355468&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.