Firefly 7 N4041P
20 July 1982 · Winslow, Maine, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 20 July 1982 at about 11:20 local time, a Firefly 7 registered N4041P, operated by Wind Riders, was involved in an accident near Winslow, Maine, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured, 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.
The record
- Date
- at 11:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Winslow, Maine, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Firefly 7
- Registration
- N4041P
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Wind Riders
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Winslow → Winslow
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC82FNC11
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Probable cause
The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.
Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.
Read the full NTSB narrative
WHILE DESCENDING TO LAND IN AN OPEN FIELD, THE BALLOON BEGAN DRIFTING TOWARDS HIGH POWERLINES. IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID A COLLISION, THE PILOT FIRED THE BURNER APPROXIMATELY NINE TIMES, USING SHORT BLASTS OF THE BURNER. THE BALLOON FAILED TO GAIN ALTITUDE AND PRIOR TO CONTACTING THE POWERLINES, THE PILOT INSTRUCTED ONE OF THE PASSENGERS TO PULL THE RIP LINE. THE RIP CORD, WHEN PULLED, RELEASES THE HOT GASES FROM THE ENVELOPE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Firefly 7 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jun 1980 | Firefly 7 | Colo Springs, Colorado, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Sep 1979 | Firefly 7 | Mansfield, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Jul 2008 | Firefly 7-15 | Jamestown, Rhode Island, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep 1982 | Cessna 205A | Augusta, Maine, United States | Atlantic Tree Service, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 29 Oct 1982 | Ted Smith 601P | Augusta, Maine, United States | Saul Duff Kronovet | Fatal | 1 |
| 25 Oct 1982 | Piper J3C-65 | Augusta, Maine, United States | Balloon Drifters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 11 Sep 1982 | Cessna 172K | Vinalhaven, Maine, United States | Maine Coast Airways, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 14 Mar 1982 | Cessna 210 | Carrabassett, Maine, United States | Ronald Loder | Serious injuries | - |
| 1 Jun 1982 | Cessna 172P | Greenville, Maine, United States | Turner Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |