- Date
- July 27, 1984, 08:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Yountville, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 4 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N27046Balloon Works Fire FLY 8-24
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840727036599A
- Case key
- 24360
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
The initial landing was in an area of limited access and the pilot elected to continue the flight over a tree line to a nearby more suitable field. In order to avoid being carried into a second downwind tree line, the plt descended the balloon into the field at a higher than normal rate. Prior to touchdown the plt cautioned the passengers that they were going to 'hit hard.' A 75 year old passenger suffered a broken rib. The plt stated that she never briefs the passengers before the flight on what type of landing to expect or the possible hazard of getting hurt during the landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N27046
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Fire FLY 8-24 (FIRE FLY 8)
- Category
- Balloon
- Airframe hours
- 899
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Nappa Valley Balloons, Inc.
- Last inspection
- Unknown · July 19, 1984 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- Yountville, CA
- Destination
- Yountville, CA
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Flight hours
- 133 total · 6 in this make and model · 95 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 315° at 3 knots, gusting 5
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.