- Date
- June 23, 1984, 19:30 local (Jun 24, 1984, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Overland Park, KS
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4070WBalloon Works Firefly 7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840623027719A
- Case key
- 33717
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
Prior to a sight-seeing flt, the plt orbained a wx briefing & released test balloons to check the wind spd & drctn. The prevailing wind was in a southerly direction at about 8 KTS. The plt of N4070W initiated his departure from a school yard after another balloon took off with no difficulty. According to the plt, the balloon lifted off & was proceeding in a southerly direction when it encountered an unexpected, unforcast wind gust from the west. He stated that the wind blew the balloon to the ene toward an electrical pole about 180 ft away. He was unable to clear over the pole & vented the balloon prior to impact. There was considerable electrical arcing, the skirt of the balloon ignited & the occupants received minor burns from a shower of sparks. One balloon attach cable was burned thru.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4070W
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Firefly 7
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 10057
- Airframe hours
- 178
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- John R. Coleman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 11, 1984 · 4 hours before
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
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Unknown
- Flight hours
- 200 total · 200 in this make and model · 190 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OJC, 10 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.
Other investigations on N4070W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.