NTSB investigations: Balloon Works FIREFLY 11

5 cases on aircraft the registry lists as Balloon Works FIREFLY 11. 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

19972026
NTSB investigations: Balloon Works FIREFLY 11 per year, 1997–2026: 5 cases
19971
19991
20001
20031
20041

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.\"mKey\" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('1050125'))
  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 LAX04LA123Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBalloon Works Firefly 11 · Phoenix, AZthe failure of the deflation vent line, which resulted in the pilot not being able to control the balloon in the increased wind conditions.Feb 13, 2004 · N7244X · Substantial damageNTSB LAX04CA003Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportBalloon Works Firefly II · Phoenix, AZthe pilot's diverted attention that resulted in the inadequate handling of the burner during ground operations.Sep 28, 2003 · N7021U · Substantial damageNTSB LAX00LA292Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBalloon Works Firefly II · Phoenix, AZThe pilot's failure to use pibals or other on site wind determination devices, and his subsequent failure to detect adverse wind conditions prior to launch of the balloon.Aug 11, 2000 · N7244X · No damageNTSB LAX99FA273Accident · Serious injuriesField investigationFinal reportBalloon Works Firefly 11 · Cave Creek, AZAn unforecast encounter with a low level microburst that resulted in a distortion of the balloon envelope, an excessive outflow of hot air (loss of lift), creating an excessive rate of descent that was beyond the performance capability of the balloon to…Aug 19, 1999 · N7021U · Minor damageNTSB LAX98LA005Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBalloon Works Firefly 11 · Rancho Bernardo, CAThe pilot's intentional flight in high wind conditions and his improper in-flight planning.Oct 11, 1997 · N2585Z · Minor damage