- Date
- September 24, 1983, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Madison, IA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2023FBalloon Works Firefly 6
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830924055279A
- Case key
- 33496
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 balloon was one of 25 balloons participating in an event. The plts had received a collective briefing from the balloon master at 0630 who stated that current winds at nearby reporting facilities were 8-10 KTS. The 0600 observation at burlington, IA, located 25 NM NE of the takeoff site, was 170 deg at 11 KTS. By 0700 the winds were 160 deg at 14 KTS, gusting to 23 KTS. The flt departed at 0845. The plt reported that during flt the winds became stronger & gustier. During the landing in an open field the basket tipped over & the plt fell against a fuel tank breaking his leg. The plt later recommended that fuel tanks should be padded.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2023F
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Firefly 6
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 610
- Airframe hours
- 149
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard A. Kerr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 27, 1983
- Departed
- Keokuk, IA
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
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown
- Flight hours
- 53 total · 53 in this make and model · 46 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.