- Date
- October 5, 1987, 08:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19871005061032A19871005061031A
- Case key
- 17405
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Two balloons, a rally and a firefly, collided in flight during the Albuquerque international balloon fiesta. The pilot of the firely was climbing at approximately 300 feet per minute when his envelope contacted the basket of the rally. The pilot of the rally stated he observed the firefly climbing at 'a very fast rate' and he activated his burner in an effort to avoid the collision. Both aircraft landed without further incident. The FAA waiver for the fiesta stated that climbs were to be made at a rate no greater than 200 feet per minute.
Two balloons, a rally and a firefly, collided in flight during the Albuquerque international balloon fiesta. The pilot of the firefly was climbing at approximately 300 feet per minute when his envelope contacted the basket of the rally. The pilot of the rally stated he observed the firefly climbing at a 'very fast rate' and he activated his burner in an effort to avoid the collision. Both aircraft landed without further incident. The FAA waiver for the fiestastated that climbs were to be made at a rate no greater than 200 feet per minute.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N36988
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Firefly 7
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- F7199
- Airframe hours
- 65
- Engine
- Unknown UNKNOWN, unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Frank W. Hoover
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1987 · 10 hours before
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
- Registration
- N6464N
- Reported as
- Raven RX-7
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- RX7-3063
- Airframe hours
- 41
- Engine
- Unknown UNKNOWN, unknown
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Reynolds, Francis G.
- Registered owner
- Francis Reynolds
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 31, 1987 · 41 hours before
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N36988
- Age
- 41
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Flight hours
- 650 total · 650 in this make and model · 650 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N6464N
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Flight hours
- 50 total · 50 in this make and model · 50 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.