NTSB investigations: Balloon Works FIREFLY 7, 1979

6 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.

Defining event

Finding

Phase of flight

Aircraft model

Cases per year

19782026

NTSB investigations: Balloon Works FIREFLY 7, 1979 per year, 1978–2026: 90 cases
1978	6
1979	6
1980	10
1981	1
1982	11
1983	9
1984	7
1985	8
1986	6
1987	5
1988	3
1989	3
1991	2
1993	2
1994	1
1995	3
1996	1
1997	1
1998	2
1999	1
2007	1
2017	1

Where

Open the map

Latest cases

Query with SQL

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 year(c."eventDate") = 1979 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

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 year(c.\"eventDate\") = 1979
    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.

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 year(c."eventDate") = 1979
  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

Run it at the DuckDB prompt, or in any tool that reads Parquet over HTTPS. More ways to query the release are on Use the data.

NTSB MIA80DLD13Accident · Serious injuriesClosedBalloon WKS KS-7 · Plant City, FLNov 17, 1979 · N41JB · Minor damage NTSB FTW79FPD46Accident · Serious injuriesClosedFirefly 7 · Mansfield, TXSep 22, 1979 · N40391 · Substantial damage NTSB MKC79FA049Accident · Serious injuriesClosedBalloon WKS F'FLY7 · Clinton, MOAug 12, 1979 · N2076F · No damage NTSB DEN79DTE68Accident · Serious injuriesClosedBalloon WKS Fire 7 · Firestone, COJul 29, 1979 · N40458 · Substantial damage NTSB FTW79FPJ23Accident · No injuriesClosedBalloon WKS FRFLY7 · Norman, OKMay 31, 1979 · N2451H · Substantial damage NTSB MKC79DCG64Accident · Serious injuriesClosedBalloon WKS Firefy · Grain Valley, MOMay 26, 1979 · N2293H · No damage