- Date
- July 13, 1983, 08:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hamel, MN
- Injuries
- 3 serious, 4 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1509WBalloon Works Firefly 8-24
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830713037029A
- Case key
- 12259
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
During flt, the plt used fuel from 2 of 4 propane tanks, then switched to the 2nd 2 tanks & started a descent. At aprx 300 ft AGL, he tried to start the burner, but could not get a light because the pilot light was out. He attempted to manually relight the burner with a flint sparker, but the burner would not relight. Subsequently, the balloon struck a metal fence, bounced & hit a tractor. Five of the passengers fell out. The plt & one other passenger were carried another 200 yards into a swampy area. An exam of the fuel sys showed that the pilot light valve was a toggle type switch near the 'fire 2' valve. The plt reported that he could have inadvertently struck & shut off the pilot light valve as he rotated the 'fire 2' valve. When checked, the pilot light & burner operated normally. The 'fire 2' would only light with the flint sparker when the valve was only slightly opened.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1509W
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Firefly 8-24 (FIREFLY 8-)
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 5012
- Airframe hours
- 110
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Balloon Ascentions Unlimited
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 2, 1983 · 29 hours before
- Departed
- Excelsior, MN
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 184 total · 2 in this make and model · 184 as pilot in command · 53 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 5 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.