- Date
- May 30, 1998, 06:55 local (11:55 UTC)
- Place
- Waterloo, IA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N25491Balloon Works Firefly 7-15
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 18, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980530011779A
- Case key
- 10901
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 clearance with the power lines during climb. A factor was the power lines.
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
The accident balloon was part of a balloon rally. The pilot reported that he arrived at the target drop area near the Waterloo Municipal Airport. He further reported that 'After throwing my baggie I started to burn to get enough lift to clear powerlines. It seems to me we were going parallel with the powerlines along Jordan Street and would have cleared the powerlines on West Airline Highway when a gust of wind took us into the powerlines on Jordan Street.' After contacting the wires the balloon slid horizontally down the wires until the basket came to rest alongside a power pole. The pilot secured the basket to the pole using a rope and waited for approximately 2 hours until he and the passenger were lowered out of the basket by the fire department. Calm winds were reported in the area at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
On May 30, 1998, at 0655 central daylight time, a Balloon Works Firefly 7-15, N25491, operated by a commercial rated balloon pilot, collided with powerlines during an approach to a field in Waterloo, Iowa. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The balloon received substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was taking part in a balloon race when the accident occurred. The flight originated in Waterloo, Iowa, at approximately 0637.
The accident balloon was part of a balloon rally. The pilot reported he departed Byrnes Park and traveled to a target drop area near the Waterloo Municipal Airport. He reported he "After throwing my baggie I started to burn to get enough lift to clear powerlines. It seems to me we were going parallel with the powerlines along Jordan Street and would have cleared the powerlines on West Airline Highway when a gust of wind took us into the powerlines on Jordan Street." The pilot reported that after contacting the wires the balloon slid horizontally down the wires until the basket came to rest alongside a power pole. He then secured the basket to the pole using a rope and waited for approximately 2 hours until he and the passenger were lowered out of the basket by the fire department.
Calm winds were reported in the area at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N25491
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Firefly 7-15 (FIREFLY 7-)
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- F7-775
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Henry A. Schick
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 14, 1998 · 132 hours before
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 582 total · 582 in this make and model · 582 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.