- Date
- June 20, 1982, 08:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Ballwin, MO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1506ABalloon Works Firfly 7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 20, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820620023629A
- Case key
- 69874
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 student pilot was demonstrating his ability to make 3 landings to meet the flight requirements for a private pilot rating. The first 2 landing were without incident. After the third takeoff, an increase in the wind velocity was encountered. For the third landing, an open field was selected. The field was downwind from a ridge and a high voltage power line. According to the crew members, a severe rotor or vertical wing curl was encountered which collapsed the side of the envelope, almost a third of its volume. Reportedly, this occurred after the landing approach was established. The student tried to compensate for the lost heat and lift by using both the main and the auxillary burners. But while still descending with power lines ahead, the pilot elected to deflate the balloon for an immediate landing. However, the envelope draped over the lines and started burning when the lines arced.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1506A
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Firfly 7
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 11163
- Airframe hours
- 18
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Samco Enterprises
- Registered owner
- Samco Enterprises
- Departed
- Eureka, MO
- Destination
- Eureka, MO
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
- 30
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Unknown
- Flight hours
- 15 total · 15 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- STL, 25 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.