# NTSB CEN14CA215: Firefly 8B-15, N15095, Security, CO, April 19, 2014 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: April 19, 2014, 08:15 local (14:15 UTC) - Place: Security, CO - Coordinates: 38.75111, -104.711387 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7511&lon=-104.7114&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 21, 2014 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 89109 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN14CA215 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/89109/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89109 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14CA215 ## Probable cause An unexpected increase in wind velocity which resulted in a hard landing and the subsequent passenger injury. ## 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 · Effect on operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Firefly Balloons FIREFLY 8B-15, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034055/cases.md?model=1050116), [All aircraft, 112 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034055/cases.md) - [Wind: sudden wind shift](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034010): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Firefly Balloons FIREFLY 8B-15, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034010/cases.md?model=1050116), [All aircraft, 114 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Other weather encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/400); cases with it: [Firefly Balloons FIREFLY 8B-15, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/400/sequence.md?model=1050116), [All aircraft, 1,127 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/400/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Firefly Balloons FIREFLY 8B-15, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=1050116), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported the wind was from the north-northwest at 6 knots when they departed and the balloon traveled to the southeast as expected. When they descended to land the wind velocity increased to 20 plus knots and the wind changed 90 degrees in direction moving them to the west. The pilot attempted to land twice and aborted both landings due to the wind and terrain conditions. The pilot briefed the passenger, who was very familiar with balloon operations, that they were going to make a high wind landing. The passenger stated he crouched down in the basket for the landing and as the triangular basket touched down and turned to its flat side, he felt his ankle roll. The basket lay down and once the balloon stopped they crawled out of the basket. The passenger stated he knew he injured his ankle and a couple days later he was diagnosed with a fractured tibia. ## Factual narrative The pilot reported the wind was from the north-northwest at 6 knots when they departed and the balloon traveled to the southeast as expected. When they descended to land the wind velocity increased to 20 plus knots and the wind changed 90 degrees in direction moving them to the west. The pilot attempted to land twice and aborted both landings due to the wind and terrain conditions. The pilot briefed the passenger, who was very familiar with balloon operations, that they were going to make a high wind landing. The passenger stated he crouched down in the basket for the landing and as the triangular basket touched down and turned to its flat side, he felt his ankle roll. The basket lay down and once the balloon stopped they crawled out of the basket. The passenger stated he knew he injured his ankle and a couple days later he was diagnosed with a fractured tibia. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N15095](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N15095), registered now, S/N F8B-2027, built 2002 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: FIREFLY 8B-15 - Registry model: [Firefly Balloons FIREFLY 8B-15](https://openairdocs.org/model/firefly-balloons-firefly-8b-15) (registry code 1050116) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Balloon - Serial number: F8B-2027 - Damage: No damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Howes Skip - Registered owner: Howes Skip - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: Colorado Spring, CO - Destination: Colorado Spring, CO ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 64; injuries: none; private; last flight review August 22, 2012; seat: none; restraint: none; flight hours: 412 total, 412 in this make and model, 412 as pilot in command, 2 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 40° at 15 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 8,500 ft broken - Temperature: 59 °F, dew point 28 °F - Altimeter: 30.04 inHg - Observed at: COS, 1 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 20140419007689A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140419007689A), Apr 19, 2014: Firefly Balloons Inc FIREFLY 8B-15, Security, CO, No damage. On 04/19/2014, at approximately 0815 hrs. Mountain daylight time (MDT), N15095, a Firefly balloons, inc. model Firefly 8B-15 balloon was not damaged during a… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 9, 2014, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89109. 90 KB in all. - METAR (item 1, .PDF, 33 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40412144&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=METAR-Master.PDF - Record of Conversation (item 2, .PDF, 56 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40412145&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation-Master.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.