NTSB investigations: Balloon Works FIREFLY 7, CO

12 cases on aircraft the registry lists as Balloon Works FIREFLY 7. Aircraft are matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model, so older matches can be wrong.

Cases per year

19792026
NTSB investigations: Balloon Works FIREFLY 7, CO per year, 1979–2026: 12 cases
19791
19802
19821
19832
19852
19861
19871
19952

Latest cases

Query with SQL
duckdb -csv -c "SELECT c.\"ntsbNumber\", c.\"eventDate\", c.\"eventType\", c.\"eventCity\", c.\"eventStateOrRegion\", a.n_number, a.\"aircraftMake\", a.\"aircraftModel\", c.\"highestInjuryLevel\", c.\"totalFatal\", c.\"completionStatus\", c.report_url
  FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c.\"mKey\" AND a.position = 1
  WHERE c.\"eventStateOrRegion\" = 'CO' AND c.\"eventCountry\" = 'USA'
    AND c.\"mKey\" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('1050100'))
  ORDER BY c.\"eventDate\" DESC, c.\"ntsbNumber\" DESC"

Prints the whole list as CSV. It reads the release’s Parquet files over HTTPS, so there’s nothing to download first. Install DuckDB to run it.

NTSB FTW95LA376Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBalloon Works Firefly 7 · Colorado Spgs, COAn encounter with a wind shift during landing.Sep 2, 1995 · N90555 · No damageNTSB FTW95LA280Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBalloon Works Firefly 7 · Littleton, COThe failure of the pilot to maintain control of the Balloon during landing.Jul 8, 1995 · N2232H · No damageNTSB DEN87LA054Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBalloon Works Firefly 7 · Colo. Springs, COThe Balloon attempted a normal landing. The instructor plt diverted his attention while the student plt allowed the envelope to cool excessively. This gave a high rate of descent and the Balloon made a hard landing.Feb 11, 1987 · N40458 · No damageNTSB DEN86LA263Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBarnes AX-7 · Durango, COWhile flying low level inside a river gorge at 200-300 feet above the water, the balloon impacted a power line and fell into the river.Sep 28, 1986 · N2346H · DestroyedNTSB DEN85LA234Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBalloon Works Firefly 7 · Littleton, COThe plt attempted to land his Balloon in high winds resulting a hard ldg which threw him out of the basket the Balloon then began an immediate asent until a pax pulled the vent line and the Balloon settled rapidly until it hit the grd. Injuries to passengers…Sep 1, 1985 · N2259H · No damageNTSB DEN85FA196Accident · Serious injuriesField investigationFinal reportBalloon Works Firefly 7 · Brighton, COA hot air Balloon owned and flown by the plt collided with electrical power lines during an attempted landing. The basket of the Balloon caught fire upon contact with the wires. The occupants leaped from the burning basket sustaining serious injuries. The…Jul 23, 1985 · N40501 · DestroyedNTSB DEN84LA043Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBalloon Works Firefly 7 · Monte Vista, COThe plt was participating in a 'hare & hounds' Balloon contest. The aircrews were wx briefed at the launch site before the event. Reportedly, there was a front approaching but it was not expected to move thru until about 2 to 3 hrs after the contest.…Nov 11, 1983 · N2416H · No damageNTSB DEN83FTE03Accident · Serious injuriesFinal reportBalloon Works Firefly 7 · Del Norte, COWhile circumnavigating snow showers at night in mountainous terrain the plt elected to make a precautionary landing on a highway. The acft struck trees on a hillside that the plt hadn't seen in the darkness.May 30, 1983 · N1516S · No damageNTSB DEN82DTE26Accident · Serious injuriesFinal reportBarnes AX-7 · Aurora, COThe VFR local pleasure flight was being conducted in strong 20-25 kt wind conditions. The wind condition had changed substantially during the duration of the flight. During a landing in a plowed field the gondola bounced and was drug approximately 270 feet.…Sep 4, 1982 · N4069Y · No damageNTSB DEN80DTE57Accident · Serious injuriesClosedBLN Works FF-7 · Elbert, COJun 24, 1980 · N79CS · No damageNTSB DEN80DTE61Accident · Serious injuriesClosedFirefly 7 · Colo Springs, COJun 21, 1980 · N40516 · No damageNTSB DEN79DTE68Accident · Serious injuriesClosedBalloon WKS Fire 7 · Firestone, COJul 29, 1979 · N40458 · Substantial damage