- Date
- September 3, 2023, 09:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Anderson, SC · Wooded area next to a road
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N192HHBalloon Works Firefly 7
- Defining event
- Landing: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230903016579I
- Case key
- 193306
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to avoid trees during the descent for landing, resulting in substantial damage to the balloon.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the balloon reported that before the flight, the reported wind direction called for a favorable path with many available landing areas; however, during the flight the wind shifted and the balloon traveled over congested living areas and neighborhoods. As he was looking for a place to land the wind was light and variable. He attempted an approach to a cul-de-sac; however, spectators were parked there, preventing a landing. He aborted the approach and tried another to a corner field. That approach was also aborted due to powerlines in the vicinity. He attempted another approach to a “small area” and the balloon’s envelope caught tree limbs during the descent. After becoming briefly suspended in the tree branches about 5 to 8 feet above the ground, the branches broke and balloon basket dropped to the ground. The passenger sustained a minor injury, the pilot was not injured. Postaccident examination of the balloon revealed substantial damage to several fabric panels and two suspension cables. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N192HH
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Firefly 7 (15)
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- F7-781
- Built
- 1992
- Airframe hours
- 286
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Balloon
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 4, 2023
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Handheld GPS
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 10, 2023
- Seat
- None
- Flight hours
- 4,500 total · 127 in this make and model · 3,800 as pilot in command · 65 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- KAND, 2 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KAND 031356Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 24/19 A3017 RMK AO2 SLP209 T02440194
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 25, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.