- Date
- May 30, 1983, 07:15 local (13:15 UTC)
- Place
- Farmington, NM
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2375HBalloon Works Firefly 7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830530021329A
- Case key
- 20918
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
According to the plt, a unauthorized ground crew relieved the plt's crew & would not follow his instructions. After the ground crew moved the balloon into a position that was upwind from a light pole, they released it & it ascending. The plt stated that he could not abort the takeoff without landing on another balloon envelope. He continued the takeoff, but could not clear the light pole.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2375H
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Firefly 7
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 7725
- Airframe hours
- 393
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Magic Garden Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NONE · Farmington, NM
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 100 total · 100 in this make and model · 68 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 45° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- 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.