- Date
- May 14, 1996, 07:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ft. Lupton, CO
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 5 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2577GBalloon Works Firefly 8B-15
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960514046799A
- Case key
- 19838
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 pasenger's failure to follow the instructions given by the pilot during a briefing.
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
During landing, the basket tipped over and one of the passengers had her arm out. It was caught between the basket and the ground. The passengers had been briefed to keep their arms inside the basket during landing.
Factual narrative
On May 14, 1996, at 0730 mountain daylight time, a Firefly 8B-15 balloon, N2577G, landed hard near Fort Lupton, Colorado. The balloon was not damaged and the pilot and five passengers were not injured. A sixth passenger received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this air tour balloon flight and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Dacono, Colorado, at 0630.
The pilot said his weather briefer predicted winds of 8 to 10 knots for landing and accordingly he pre briefed his passengers prior to the flight. He said he briefed them again prior to approach, and specifically concerning keeping their arms inside the basket.
According to the pilot, the basket tipped over on its side following touchdown and one of the passengers' arm ended up between the basket and the ground. Medical examination, following the accident, provided information that the passenger's arm was broken. This was the first balloon ride for all the passengers.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2577G
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Firefly 8B-15 (FIREFLY 8B)
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- F8B-445
- Airframe hours
- 366
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Michael E. Gianetti
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 3, 1995 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- Dacono, CO
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Flight hours
- 465 total · 366 in this make and model · 439 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.