- Date
- October 29, 1985, 07:55 local (12:55 UTC)
- Place
- Comstock Park, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4056LBalloon Works Firefly 7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851029054389A
- Case key
- 13375
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
According to the pilot she received wind information from a flight service station, the noaa and ATIS approximately 1.5 hours prior to takeoff. All these sources predicted winds to be less than 7 knots. Winds were 'very light' during balloon inflation. The launch was uneventful until the balloon rose above the trees where the velocity over the ground increased to an eventual 17 knots. The check pilot then instructed the pilot to skim the tops of corn in a cornfield to simulate a touch and go landing. The field she selected was on the FAR side of a set of power lines and a wooded area. As she cleared the power lines the wind shifted to a headwind and the balloon descended into the trees in spite of a propane burn to arrest the descent. The balloon envelope was damaged by the trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4056L
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Firefly 7
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- A7090-5
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Mary Bobik
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
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
- Student
- Flight hours
- 10 total · 10 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 14 knots, gusting 4
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 34 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.