- Date
- August 26, 2002, 19:40 local (Aug 27, 2002, 00:40 UTC)
- Place
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N242MSBalloon Works FireFly 7B-15
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 1, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20020826020119A
- Case key
- 55567
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 inadvertent flight into adverse weather conditions resulting in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the high wind.
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
Prior to the balloon flight, the pilot checked the weather conditions from several weather reporting sources and determined that the conditions were suitable for flight. Approximately 20 minutes into the flight, the pilot noticed that the surface winds appeared to be increasing. The pilot briefed the passengers on high wind landing procedures and "executed a textbook high wind landing." After the balloon came to rest, the pilot and passengers exited the balloon basket; however, one of the passengers mentioned that her ankle was sore. It was determined by medical personnel that the passenger sustained a broken ankle.
Factual narrative
On August 26, 2002, at 1940 central daylight time, a Balloon Works FireFly 7B-15 balloon, N242MS, was not damaged during a high wind landing near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The commercial pilot and one passenger were not injured, and one passenger sustained serious injuries. The balloon was registered to the pilot and a private individual and operated by Flying High Balloon Services, Oklahoma City. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial observation flight. The local balloon flight departed Edmond, Oklahoma, at 1910.
According to the 883-hour pilot, prior to the flight, he checked the weather conditions from several weather reporting sources. After arriving at the launch site, the pilot set off a pibal (weather balloon) to assess the wind conditions. At departure, the wind was from 090 degrees at 7 knots. Approximately 20 minutes into the flight, the pilot noticed that the surface winds appeared to be increasing. The pilot briefed the passengers on high wind landing procedures which included: sitting down on the bottom of the basket, hold on to the interior handles, and do not get out of the basket until told to do so by the pilot. The pilot "executed a textbook high wind landing." After the balloon came to rest, the pilot and passengers exited the balloon basket; however, one of the passengers mentioned that her ankle was sore. It was determined by medical personnel that the passenger sustained a broken ankle.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N242MS
- Reported as
- Balloon Works FireFly 7B-15
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- F7B-379
- Airframe hours
- 315
- Engine
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Flying High Balloon Services
- Registered owner
- Michael R. Scott / Josie Scott
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 25, 2002 · 39.1 hours before
- Departed
- Edmond, OK
- Destination
- Oklahoma City, OK
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
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- May 19, 2002
- Flight hours
- 883 total · 320 in this make and model · 883 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.