# NTSB DEN86LA189: Balloon Works Firefly 7, N37486, Hurley, NM, July 5, 1986

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: July 5, 1986, 08:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place: Hurley, NM
- Coordinates: 32.689914, -108.129745 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.6899&lon=-108.1297&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: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 17004
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN86LA189
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/17004/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN86LA189

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Miscellaneous/other, landing
  - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause)

## Analysis

DURING LANDING, ONE OF THE PAXS IN THE BALLOON BASKET SUFFERED A BROKEN ANKLE. PLT SAYS LANDING WAS A NORMAL RIP OUT LANDING. NEITHER HE NOR PAX KNOWS HOW INJURY OCCURRED.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N37486](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N37486-2000-07-13), registration cancelled 2000-07-13, S/N F7-124 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BALLOON WORKS FIREFLY 7
- Registry model: [Balloon Works FIREFLY 7](https://openairdocs.org/model/balloon-works-firefly-7) (registry code 1050100) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Balloon
- Serial number: F7-124
- Airframe hours: 259
- Engines: unknown UNK unknown
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Operator: First State Bank Of Dona Ana
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, November 16, 1985, 70 hours before
- Departed: 94E, SILVER CITY, NM

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 42; private; medical: unknown, unknown; flight hours: 48 total, 48 in this make and model, 30 as pilot in command, 10 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 280° at 6 knots, gusting 6
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 70 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19860705030339A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19860705030339A), Jul 5, 1986: Balwks FIREFLY7, Hurley, NM. Passenger injured on landing. Indicates passenger was not braced properly for the typical drag on 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.