- Date
- August 29, 1998, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Freehold, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9067FBalloon Works Firefly 7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 7, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980829032059A
- Case key
- 43859
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 passenger's failure to secure himself during landing.
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 pilot, he had set up to land the balloon in a large field, but the wind shifted so he decided to land in a smaller field. During the landing, one of the passengers lost his balance and fell onto another passenger who incurred an ankle injury. The pilot reported that he had briefed the passengers prior to touchdown.
Factual narrative
On August 29, 1998, at 1900 eastern daylight time, N9067F, a Balloon Works, Firefly 7, landed in a field near Freehold, New Jersey, and a passenger sustained serious injuries during the landing. The balloon was not damaged. The certificated commercial pilot and two other passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the local flight that originated in the Monroe Township, New Jersey. The commercial sightseeing flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, he had set up to land in a large field, but the wind shifted and he decided to land in a smaller field. During the landing, one of the passengers lost his balance and fell onto another passenger who incurred an ankle injury. The pilot reported that he had briefed the passengers prior to touchdown.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9067F
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Firefly 7
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- F7-485
- Airframe hours
- 344
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kenneth R Leota
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 5, 1998 · 19 hours before
- Departed
- Monroe Twnship, NJ
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 468 total · 295 in this make and model · 23 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °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.