# NTSB DEN06CA108: Firefly Balloons Galaxy 11B, N2190S, Albuquerque, NM, July 27, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: July 27, 2006, 08:00 local (14:00 UTC) - Place: Albuquerque, NM - Coordinates: 35.153331, -106.786666 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1533&lon=-106.7867&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor, 7 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 31, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 64250 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN06CA108 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/64250/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN06CA108 ## Probable cause fuel exhaustion, resulting in the pilot's inability to relight one of two burners, and resulting in a hard landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, descent - balloon equipment,burner system - loss,total - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - balloon equipment,control system - dumped ## Analysis The pilot reported that they had been aloft for about 45 minutes. The wind had shifted several times and he decided to land in an open field. There were power lines that bordered the field. The pilot ascended to clear the power lines but the wind shifted again and carried the balloon toward trees and the Rio Grande. The pilot vented the balloon "less than 30 feet above the ground and did a steep end landing in less than 3 knots. The balloon came down with low impact, bounced once, about 3 feet and came to a stop upright." Passengers, however, told an FAA inspector that the pilot attempted to slow the descent by activating one burner of a two-burner system. He tried lighting the burner with a striker, but it would not stay lit due to insufficient fuel. The balloon landed hard and bounced. One passenger, who was holding on to a strap, fractured her arm when she struck it with her head. ## Factual narrative On July 27, 2006, approximately 0800 mountain daylight time, a Firefly Balloons Galaxy 11B, N2190S, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained a hard landing in a field in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The balloon was not damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. One passenger received a serious injury, and the pilot reported a minor injury. Seven other passengers were not injured. The local flight originated at Rio Rancho, New Mexico, approximately 0655. The pilot reported they had been aloft for about 45 minutes. The wind had shifted several times and he decided to land in an open field. There were power lines that bordered the field. The pilot ascended to clear the power lines but the wind shifted again and carried the balloon toward trees and the Rio Grande. The pilot vented the balloon "less than 30 feet above the ground and did a steep end landing in less than 3 knots. The balloon came down with low impact, bounced once, about 3 feet and came to a stop upright." Passengers told an FAA inspector that the pilot attempted to slow the descent by activating one burner of a two-burner system. He tried lighting the burner with a striker, but it would not stay lit due to insufficient fuel. The balloon landed hard and bounced. One passenger, who was holding on to a strap, fractured her arm when she struck it with her head. ## 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: GLX-1311B - Airframe hours: 185 - Damage: No damage - Flight: Other work use, Part 91 - Operator: David E. Smith - Registered owner: David E. Smith - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, September 1, 2005 - Departed: NONE, Rio Rancho, NM ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 63; injuries: minor; commercial; last flight review June 1, 2005; flight hours: 1,517 total, 186 in this make and model, 1,517 as pilot in command, 48 in the last 90 days, 30 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 260° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 68 °F, dew point 63 °F - Altimeter: 30.12 inHg - Observed at: ABQ ## 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 20060727015069A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060727015069A), Jul 27, 2006: Balwks FIREFLY11B, Albuquerque, NM. (-23) On July 27, 2006 at 0800 MDT a firefly 11B hot air balloon, N2190S, registered to and piloted by [privacy data omitted] made a hard landing near the… ## 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 DEN04LA006](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN04LA006), Oct 9, 2003: Firefly Balloons Galaxy 11B (N2190S), Albuquerque, NM, substantial damage. 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… 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.