- Date
- May 23, 1999, 08:10 local (12:10 UTC)
- Place
- Gasburg, VA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9070TBalloon Works FIREFLY-7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 10, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990523021549A
- Case key
- 46378
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 unforecast high winds that required the pilot in command to make a precautionary landing.
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 hot air balloon launched under light wind conditions. As the balloon was approaching the first steerage, at about 50 feet above the ground, the pilot had to climb the balloon to 300 feet to complete the turn. During the climb, a windshear flattened out one side of the balloon, re-inflating a moment later, violently shaking the entire aircraft. The pilot decided to abort the flight. A hay field was spotted about 4 miles ahead of the balloon. As the balloon neared the ground, the winds continued to blow, and the basket collided with a hay bail, at a speed of about 15 knots. After impacting the hay bail, the basket touched down, dragged along the ground, and rolled over. The balloon then collapsed completely to the ground.
Factual narrative
On May 23, 1999, about 0810 Eastern Daylight Time, a Balloon Works, Firefly-7, N9070T, was not damaged while landing in a field, near Gasburg, Virginia. The certificated pilot and one passenger were not injured. A second passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In a written statement, the pilot reported that he was a participant in a hot air balloon race. A weather briefer was present for the race, and had launched a 12-inch helium weather balloon. The pilot was present with the weather briefer when the weather balloon was launched, and they observed the surface wind from 210 degrees at less than 5 knots, with no significant wind shifts up through 800 feet.
The hot air balloon launched under light wind conditions, about 0745. As the balloon was approaching the first steerage, at about 50 feet above the ground, the pilot had to climb the balloon to 300 feet to complete the turn. During the climb, a windshear flattened out one side of the balloon, re-inflating a moment later, violently shaking the entire balloon. The pilot decided to abort the race, and informed the passenger that they would be landing in the first available field. A hay field was spotted about 4 miles ahead of the balloon, and the pilot maneuvered to it. The field was several hundred yards long, with power lines on the far end. Several other balloons had used the field to land, due to encountering the same type of winds. As the balloon neared the ground, the winds continued to blow, and the basket collided with a hay bail, at a speed of about 15 knots. Event officials, who were on the ground, and witnessed the accident, estimated the speed of the balloon at 20 knots. After impacting the hay bail, the basket touched down, dragged along the ground, and rolled over. The balloon then collapsed completely to the ground.
An airport located 10 miles to the northwest, reported, clear skies, winds from 210 degrees at 6 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9070T
- Reported as
- Balloon Works FIREFLY-7
- Category
- Balloon
- Serial number
- 24634A
- Airframe hours
- 365
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David C. Tomasetti
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 16, 1999 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Lake Gaston Res, VA
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Flight hours
- 830 total · 338 in this make and model · 778 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 2.5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AVC, 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.