- Date
- August 31, 1989, 19:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Hatboro, PA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7406FBalloon Works Firefly
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890831034469A
- Case key
- 36477
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
Improper in-flight planning/decision by the pilot which resulted in his failure to maintain clearance obstructions. A related factor was: the low level of propane (fuel), which resulted in low burner pressure.
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 departed on a pleasure flt with 4 passengers aboard. The winds were reported from the southeast at 5 KTS, visibility was unlimited & the temp was 72 degs. About 30 min after takeoff, the plt discovered the #2 propane tank was empty. He immediately switched to the #1 reserve tank. While attempting to land in an appropriate landing spot, the burner pressure dropped & the plt was unable to avoid powerlines. Subsequently, the gondola contacted & came to rest on the powerlines. The plt was able to dislodge the gondola, but it fell to the ground & one passenger was seriously injured; the other passengers received minor injuries.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7406F
- Reported as
- Balloon Works Firefly
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- F88-019
- Airframe hours
- 96
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John W. Edling
- Registered owner
- Blue Dragon/Full Of Hot Air
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 15, 1988 · 48 hours before
- Departed
- North Wales, PA
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 392 total · 40 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 185° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.