# NTSB DEN80DTE61: Firefly 7, N40516, Colo Springs, CO, June 21, 1980

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Closed
- Date: June 21, 1980
- Place: Colo Springs, CO · COLO SPRINGS, CO
- Location: 38.8339° N, 104.8214° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Colorado Springs, CO, within about 8 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.8339&lon=-104.8214&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report September 30, 1980
- Report: Brief approved by the director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 130423
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN80DTE61
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN80DTE61

## NTSB brief

```
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 FILE    DATE          LOCATION          AIRCRAFT DATA       INJURIES       FLIGHT                        PILOT DATA
                                                               F  S M/N     PURPOSE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3-1912  80/6/21  NR.COLO SPRINGS,CO    FIREFLY 7           CR-  0  0  1  NONCOMMERCIAL             COMMERCIAL, AGE 37, 297
        TIME - 0730                    N40516              PX-  0  1  1  PLEASURE/PERSONAL TRANSP  TOTAL HOURS, 39 IN TYPE,
                                       DAMAGE-NONE         OT-  0  0  0                            NOT INSTRUMENT RATED.
        DEPARTURE POINT             INTENDED DESTINATION
         COLO SPRINGS,CO              LOCAL
        TYPE OF ACCIDENT                                         PHASE OF OPERATION
           HARD LANDING                                             LANDING: LEVEL OFF/TOUCHDOWN
        PROBABLE CAUSE(S)
           PILOT IN COMMAND - IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT DECISIONS OR PLANNING
        FACTOR(S)
           WEATHER - UNFAVORABLE WIND CONDITIONS
        WEATHER BRIEFING - BRIEFING RECEIVED-METHOD UNKNOWN
        WEATHER FORECAST - WEATHER CONSIDERABLY WORSE THAN FORECAST
        SKY CONDITION                                            CEILING AT ACCIDENT SITE
          SCATTERED                                                UNLIMITED
        VISIBILITY AT ACCIDENT SITE                              PRECIPITATION AT ACCIDENT SITE
          5 OR OVER(UNLIMITED)                                     NONE
        OBSTRUCTIONS TO VISION AT ACCIDENT SITE                  TEMPERATURE-F
          NONE                                                      70
        WIND DIRECTION-DEGREES                                   WIND VELOCITY-KNOTS
          180                                                       20
        TYPE OF WEATHER CONDITIONS                               TYPE OF FLIGHT PLAN
          VFR                                                      NONE
        REMARKS- WND 5 TO 10KTS DRG TKOF,INCREASED DRG 50MIN FLT.
```

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N40516](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N40516-2013-08-14), registration cancelled 2013-08-14, S/N 7956, built 1979 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: FIREFLY 7
- Registry model: [Balloon Works FIREFLY 7](https://openairdocs.org/model/balloon-works-firefly-7) (registry code 1050100) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Balloon
- Engines: none
- Damage: No damage

## 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 19800621024999A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19800621024999A), Jun 21, 1980: Balwks FIREFLY7, Colorado Spring, CO. Made hard balloon landing in gusty surface wind. Passenger received serious injury.

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.