- Date
- November 17, 1985, 08:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Englewood, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4052KBalloon Works Firefly 6B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851117061259A
- Case key
- 16885
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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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 plt stated that while on a balloon flt, the blast valve, which operates the burner flame, stuck open during one of the burns. The plt attempted unsuccessfully to disengage the blast valve. When the plt could not stop the flame with the blast valve, he manually closed the three propane tanks. To land, the plt opened a propane tank, relighting each time he wished to make a burn. Upon landing, the envelope shifted over the flame, burning seven gore panels.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4052K
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Firefly 6B
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 10068
- Airframe hours
- 276
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- J. Robert Pendleton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 11, 1985 · 46 hours before
- Departed
- Englewood, CO
- Destination
- Englewood, CO
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Flight hours
- 48 total · 34 in this make and model · 48 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 95° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 46 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 9 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- APA, 8 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.