- Date
- September 1, 1994, 19:15 local (Sep 2, 1994, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Storm Lake, IA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2597SBalloon Works Fire FLY 7-15
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 12, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940901024839A
- Case key
- 9664
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 excessive rate of descent to landing. Factors in the accident were the gusts and downdraft.
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, as he approached his destination airport in his hot air balloon, the balloon encountered a downdraft from a dissipating thunderstorm. He intended to bring the hot air balloon down to the ground quickly to avoid the wind from blowing the balloon across the ground. Although he continued burning all the way to the ground, the pilot was unable to stop the balloon's high rate of descent. The gondola impacted the ground hard, rebounded into the air to approximately 100 feet above the ground, and then impacted the ground again. The balloon continued along the ground until it struck power lines where it came to rest.
Factual narrative
On September 1, 1994, at 1915 central daylight time, a Firefly 7- 15 balloon, N2597S, was substantially damaged when it landed hard at Storm Lake Municipal Airport, Storm Lake, Iowa. Both the commercial pilot and passenger received serious injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight originated from a field located eight miles northeast of Storm Lake, Iowa. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the flight.
According to the pilot, he inflated the hot air balloon and ascended with one passenger aboard en route to Storm Lake Municipal Airport. He states as the balloon approached the airport, the balloon encountered a downdraft from a dissipating thunderstorm which was several miles away. The pilot believed that he would have to bring the balloon down to the ground quickly to avoid the wind from blowing it across the ground. Although he continued burning all the way to the ground, he was unable not stop the balloon's high rate of decent. The gondola impacted the ground hard and the pilot was thrown from the basket. A fire started near the burner assembly as the balloon rebounded into the air. The passenger was still aboard. The pilot states the balloon climbed to approximately 100 feet above the ground and then started to descend. The balloon impacted the ground for a second time. At this point the passenger was able to crawl out on the gondola. The balloon continued along the ground until it struck power lines where it came to rest.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2597S
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Fire FLY 7-15 (FIRE FLY 7)
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- F7-811
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard C. Schick
- Registered owner
- Richard C. Schick
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- SLB · Storm Lake Municipal
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
- 61
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 474 total · 474 in this make and model · 464 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 11 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SLB
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.