# NTSB DEN04LA006: Firefly Balloons Galaxy 11B, N2190S, Albuquerque, NM, October 9, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 9, 2003, 09:20 local (15:20 UTC) - Place: Albuquerque, NM - Coordinates: 35.059871, -106.619415 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0599&lon=-106.6194&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 2 serious, 6 minor, 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 2, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Albuquerque FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 58151 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN04LA006 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/58151/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN04LA006 ## Probable cause the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during a high-wind landing, resulting in a hard landing, the subsequent tipping of the balloon's basket, a post impact flash fire, and the ejection of two passengers. Contributing factors include the high wind conditions and the rough/uneven terrain. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, landing - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - high wind (contributing factor) - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - proper descent rate - exceeded, pilot in command (contributing factor) - balloon equipment,basket - other - terrain condition - open field (contributing factor) - terrain condition - rough/uneven (contributing factor) - Miscellaneous/other, landing - flare/touchdown - balloon equipment,burner system - fire (contributing factor) ## Analysis According to the pilot, he prepared for landing and descended the balloon to check the winds. He noticed that the winds had increased to "16 to 22 mph," so he decided to climb back up and look for a larger area in which to land. He briefed his passengers and prepared them for a high-wind landing. As the balloon descended, it came out of the "12 to 14 mph winds into 16 to 20 mph winds." The pilot said he had to "burn hard" to control the balloon as it came into the faster winds. When the balloon leveled out at approximately 2 feet off the ground, he pulled hard on the vent line. However, at that time, he "didn't turn off the pilot lights, because I [he] knew that with all the extra heat, it was going to bounce up." When the balloon struck the ground, it bounced approximately 20 feet into the air. On the second touchdown, the pilot turned off the pilot light. As the balloon slid across the ground, the basket rotated approximately 90 degrees and then tumbled on its side. When the basket tumbled, the pilot felt a "flash back from the burner." At that point, the pilot noticed that two passengers had been thrown from the basket. One of them had caught her foot on the basket and the balloon was dragging her across the ground. The balloon came to a stop approximately 800 feet from the first touchdown point. The pilot stated that when he went back to the balloon, he identified that "both pilot lights were off" and he found a "jacket wrapped around the blast valve handle." Although three passengers were not injured, the pilot, and one passenger received minor injuries, and six passengers were seriously injured. ## Factual narrative On October 9, 2003, at 0920 mountain daylight time, a Firefly Balloons, Inc., Galaxy 11B balloon, N2190S, impacted terrain during a high-wind landing near Albuquerque, New Mexico. Three passengers were not injured; however, the pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries and six passengers sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed for the local flight being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight had originated at approximately 0930. According to the pilot, the Albuquerque automated Flight Service Station reported that the winds were variable at 6 knots at the surface, 7 knots at 9,000 feet, and 6 knots at 12,000 feet. He stated that the winds were approximately 3 knots, according to his GPS, at the time the flight departed. During the flight, at 5,700 feet msl, he noticed that the winds started picking up to "12 to 15 mph." When he descended the balloon to check the winds, he noticed that the winds had increased to "16 to 22 mph," so he decided to climb back up to look for a larger area in which to land. The pilot stated that he briefed his passengers and prepared them for a high-wind landing. As the balloon descended, it came out of the "12 to 14 mph winds into 16 to 20 mph winds." The pilot stated that he had to "burn hard" to control the balloon as it came into the faster winds. When the balloon leveled out at approximately 2 feet off the ground, he pulled hard on the vent line. At that time, he "didn't turn off the pilot lights, because I [he] knew that with all the extra heat...it was going to bounce up." When the balloon struck the ground, it bounced approximately 20 feet into the air. On the second touchdown, the pilot turned off the pilot light. As the balloon slid across the ground, its basket rotated approximately 90 degrees and then tumbled on its side. When the basket tumbled, the pilot felt a "flash back from the burner." At that point, the pilot noticed that two passengers had been thrown from the basket. One of them had caught her foot on the basket and the balloon was dragging her across the ground. The balloon came to a stop approximately 800 feet from the first touchdown point. Of the six seriously injured passengers, two were airlifted to the hospital. The pilot stated that when he went back to the balloon, he identified that "both pilot lights were off" and he found a "jacket wrapped around the blast valve handle." According to the pilot's current logbook, he had logged a total flight time of 1202.8 hours in all balloons, of which a total of 18.5 hours was in make and model. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2190S](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2190S-2018-01-11), registration cancelled 2018-01-11, S/N GLX-1311B, built 2003 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Firefly Balloons Galaxy 11B - Registry model: [Firefly Balloons GALAXY 11B](https://openairdocs.org/model/firefly-balloons-galaxy-11b) (registry code 1050156) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Balloon - Serial number: N/A - Airframe hours: 19 - Damage: Substantial damage - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Business, Part 91 - Registered owner: David E. Smith - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, August 20, 2003, 19 hours before - Departed: Albuquerque, NM - Destination: Albuquerque, NM ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 60; injuries: minor; commercial; last flight review June 25, 2003; flight hours: 1,203 total, 19 in this make and model, 1,191 as pilot in command, 90 in the last 90 days, 28 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 360° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 63 °F, dew point 50 °F - Altimeter: 30.13 inHg - Observed at: ABQ, 10 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20031009027289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20031009027289A), Oct 9, 2003: Balwks FIREFLY11B, Albuquerque, NM, Substantial damage. (-23) On October 9, 2003, at approximately 2000 MST a firefly galaxy 11B balloon, N2190S, registered to david e. smith, collided with the ground on landing in… ## Other investigations on N2190S (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB DEN06CA108](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN06CA108), Jul 27, 2006: Firefly Balloons Galaxy 11B (N2190S), Albuquerque, NM, no damage. Probable cause: fuel exhaustion, resulting in the pilot's inability to relight one of two burners, and resulting in a hard landing. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.