NTSB investigations: Balloon Works FIREFLY 8-24

5 cases on aircraft the registry lists as Balloon Works FIREFLY 8-24, where the first occurrence was “Hard landing”. 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

19842026

NTSB investigations: Balloon Works FIREFLY 8-24 per year, 1984–2026: 5 cases
1984	3
1986	1
1994	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 c."mKey" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('1050107') AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_occurrences.parquet' o WHERE o.case_mkey = x.case_mkey AND o.aircrafts_position = x.position AND o."occurrenceNumber" = 1 AND o."occurrenceCode" = 200)) 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 c.\"mKey\" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('1050107')
      AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_occurrences.parquet' o WHERE o.case_mkey = x.case_mkey AND o.aircrafts_position = x.position AND o.\"occurrenceNumber\" = 1 AND o.\"occurrenceCode\" = 200))
  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 c."mKey" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('1050107')
    AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_occurrences.parquet' o WHERE o.case_mkey = x.case_mkey AND o.aircrafts_position = x.position AND o."occurrenceNumber" = 1 AND o."occurrenceCode" = 200))
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 LAX94LA337Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBalloon Works Firefly 8-24 · Sedona, AZa tip over of the balloon and basket during a high wind landing due to the pilot's inability to compensate for the increased wind speed conditions during the final stages of the flight and landing.Aug 23, 1994 · N90299 · No damage NTSB MIA87LA030Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBalloon Works Firefly 8-24 · Brandon, FLA high sink rate was not arrested prior to the hard ldg. The plt stated that he briefed the pax on ldg procedures which included a tight grip in the event of an emerg ldg. The pax statements differed from those of the Balloon crew concerning the content of…Nov 4, 1986 · N37171 · No damage NTSB LAX84LA425Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBalloon Works Fire FLY 8-24 · Yountville, CAThe initial landing was in an area of limited access and the pilot elected to continue the flight over a tree line to a nearby more suitable field. In order to avoid being carried into a second downwind tree line, the plt descended the Balloon into the field…Jul 27, 1984 · N27046 · No damage NTSB SEA84LA144Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBalloon Works Barnes AX-8 · Monroe, WADuring the ballon descent, the plt said he briefed the passengers to bend their knees & hold onto something inside the basket. According to the plt , the descent became more rapid due to a downdraft. The passengers were again warned to 'hang on' because it…Jun 24, 1984 · N1509H · No damage NTSB LAX84LA231Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBalloon Works Fire FLY 8-24 · Phoenix, AZThe plt took off on a sight-seeing Balloon flt with 5 passengers whose ages were reportedly from 65 to 83 yrs old. About 1 hr & 15 mins later, he landed on desert terrain in winds that he estimated were aprx 10 KTS gusting to 15 KTS. During touchdown, the…Mar 24, 1984 · N36104 · Minor damage