# NTSB LAX05LA143: Firefly Balloon Firefly 11, N15001, Saint Helena, CA, April 13, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 13, 2005, 08:00 local (15:00 UTC) - Place: Saint Helena, CA - Coordinates: 38.553333, -122.498336 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.5533&lon=-122.4983&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 8 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 28, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 61400 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX05LA143 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/61400/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05LA143 ## Probable cause The pilot's encounter with wind shear during landing, which resulted in a hard touchdown. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - weather condition - high wind (cause) - weather condition - windshear (cause) - object - tree(s) - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - terrain condition - none suitable - proper descent rate - not obtained/maintained, pilot in command ## Analysis The balloon touched down hard at the conclusion of a sightseeing flight seriously injuring one of the eight fare-paying passengers. The pilot indicated that upon entering a wider area of the Napa Valley the winds aloft should have slowed, but they did not. Therefore, he decided to land as soon as possible, having the belief that the wind speed might increase if he continued the flight. During the descent to an open field, the balloon drifted over a row of estimated 30- to 40-foot-tall trees, and the wind speed suddenly increased to between 10 and 12 miles per hour. The pilot advised the passengers to prepare for a possible hard touchdown, and during the final seconds of the flight, he used both burners at maximum power to slow the descent rate. However, a windshear was encountered, and the balloon abruptly descended. ## Factual narrative On April 13, 2005, about 0800 Pacific daylight time, a Firefly Balloons, Inc., Firefly 11, N15001, made a hard landing in an open field near Saint Helena, California. The balloon was not damaged. Neither the commercial certificated pilot nor seven of the eight fare-paying passengers were injured. The eighth passenger was seriously injured during the touchdown sequence of the hard landing. The balloon was owned and operated by Calistoga Balloons, LLC., Calistoga, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the sightseeing flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and it originated from Calistoga about 0700. The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that during the flight he had varied the balloon's altitude from 500 to 3,000 feet above ground level, and the cruise portion of the flight had been uneventful. The pilot indicated that upon entering a wider area of the Napa Valley the winds aloft should have slowed, but they did not. Therefore, he decided to land as soon as possible, having the belief that the wind speed might increase if he continued the flight. During the descent to an open field, the balloon drifted over a row of estimated 30- to 40-foot-tall trees. The wind speed suddenly increased to between 10 and 12 miles per hour. The pilot reported that he advised the passengers to prepare for a possible hard touchdown, and during the final seconds of flight he used both burners at maximum power to slow the descent rate. However, a wind shear was encountered upon drifting downwind over the trees. The balloon abruptly descended, and the touchdown was "firm." The basket remained upright, and it stopped dragging on the ground in about 30 feet. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N15001](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N15001-2017-06-07), registration cancelled 2017-06-07, S/N F11-2001, built 2001 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Firefly Balloon, Inc. Firefly 11 - Registry model: [Firefly Balloons FIREFLY 11](https://openairdocs.org/model/firefly-balloons-firefly-11) (registry code 1050122) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Balloon - Serial number: F11-2001 - Airframe hours: 169 - Damage: No damage - Flight: Other work use, Part 91 - Registered owner: Calistoga Balloons, LLC. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, August 1, 2004, 34 hours before - Departed: Calistoga, CA - Destination: Saint Helena, CA ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 55; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, expired; last flight review February 1, 2005; flight hours: 7,000 total, 340 in this make and model, 7,000 as pilot in command, 20 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 37 °F, dew point 37 °F - Altimeter: 30.17 inHg - Observed at: STS, 15 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20050413025959A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050413025959A), Apr 13, 2005: Balwks FIREFLY11, Calistoga, CA. (-23) During the landing phase of the balloon flight the balloon made a hard landing. One of the passengers reported pain in her legs. A few days later, the… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.