- Date
- August 7, 1990, 07:47 local (14:47 UTC)
- Place
- Napa, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor, 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9090MBalloon Works Firefly 9
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900807031109A
- Case key
- 26887
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 flight's encounter with a probable microburst weather phenomena with down drafts and winds beyond the performance capability of the balloon.
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
Seventeen balloons launched from various locations around the Napa valley for local sightseeing flights. Statements from pilots, passengers and ground witnesses said that while the balloons were in normal drifting flight a microburst like condition suddenly occurred which affected all of the balloons. The weather phenomena encountered inlcuded strong gusting surface and aloft winds in addition to severe down drafts. The balloons were rapidly forced toward the ground as their ground speed increased radically. The pilots of several balloons reported that the shapes of their balloons envelopes were severely distorted by the sudden movement of the airmass. Eight of the 17 balloons attempted forced landings. Four of the balloons collided with obstructions and the ground during the attempted landings. At the time of the incident, a large thunderstorm was reported 30 miles to the north.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9090M
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Firefly 9
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- F9-034
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Balloons Above The Valley
- Departed
- NONE
- Destination
- NONE
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
- 44
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 548 total · 94 in this make and model · 477 as pilot in command · 119 in the last 90 days · 44 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 30,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- APC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.