- Date
- January 13, 2024, 09:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Albany, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2582UBalloon Works Firefly 7-15
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Lubbock FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240113000209A
- Case key
- 193681
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain a proper descent rate during the landing approach in a high wind condition.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was unable to arrest the balloon’s descent during a high wind landing approach, during which the balloon contacted trees. The balloon sustained substantial damage to the envelope and load tape. The pilot sustained a serious injury when he was ejected from the basket during the hard landing. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2582U
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Firefly 7-15
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 7879-3-5
- Built
- 1995
- Airframe hours
- 119
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2023
- Departed
- Abilene, TX
- Destination
- Albany, TX
- Equipment
- None
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
- 31
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- May 6, 2023
- Seat
- None
- Flight hours
- 38 total · 36 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- KABI, 27 nm away
- METAR
- KABI 131452Z 21014G20KT 10SM CLR 07/M09 A2990 RMK AO2 SLP126 T00671089 53007=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 19, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.