NTSB investigations: Balloon Works FIREFLY 7, 1980

10 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, 1980 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

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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") = 1980 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\") = 1980
    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") = 1980
  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 CHI80DEE57Accident · No injuriesClosedBLN Works FF-7 · Rock Island, ILSep 30, 1980 · N1532B · Substantial damage NTSB FTW80DRJ43Accident · Minor injuriesClosedBLN Works FF-7 · Tyler, TXSep 20, 1980 · N4062L · Substantial damage NTSB NYC80;GM29Accident · No injuriesClosedBLN Works FF-7 · Indiana, PAAug 31, 1980 · N2127H · Substantial damage NTSB NYC80DNA23Accident · Minor injuriesClosedBLN Works FF-7 · Edgartown, MAAug 23, 1980 · N4039Q · Substantial damage NTSB DEN80DTE57Accident · Serious injuriesClosedBLN Works FF-7 · Elbert, COJun 24, 1980 · N79CS · No damage NTSB DEN80DTE61Accident · Serious injuriesClosedFirefly 7 · Colo Springs, COJun 21, 1980 · N40516 · No damage NTSB IAD80FA039Accident · 3 fatalClosedBalloon WKS AX-7 · Hurricane, WVApr 20, 1980 · N40452 · Substantial damage NTSB MKC80FCQ12Accident · No injuriesClosedBalloon WKS FF7 · Towanda, KSApr 18, 1980 · N2033F · Substantial damage NTSB LAX80DUJ44Accident · Serious injuriesClosedBLN Works FF-7 · Tucson, AZMar 21, 1980 · N40708 · No damage NTSB IAD80DKM11Accident · No injuriesClosedBalloon WKS AX-7 · East Bend, NCMar 16, 1980 · N4051Y · Substantial damage