Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 N1511A
6 June 1987 · Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 6 June 1987 at about 11:50 local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 registered N1511A was involved in an accident near Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.
The record
- Date
- at 11:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.5007, -80.6700
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 7
- Registration
- N1511A
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Kannapolis → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL87LA158
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
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
THE BALLOON PILOT WAS EXECUTING A LANDING APPROACH TO A CLEAR AREA. HE FAILED TO SEE AND AVOID ELECTRICAL POWER LINES ON THE NEAR SIDE OF THE FIELD AS HE MADE HIS APPROACH. THE BALLOON COLLIDED WITH THE POWER LINES AND THE BASKET LANDED HARD. THE BALLOON REMAINED DRAPED OVER THE POWER LINES AFTER THE BASKET CAME TO A STOP. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS ELECTRICAL SHOCK INJURIES AND ONE OF THE PASSENGERS WAS ELECTROCUTED.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Balloon Works FIREFLY accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Mar 1987 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7-B | Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Oct 1987 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7-B | Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States | Janet L. Hodges | No injuries | - |
| 5 Oct 1987 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Feb 1987 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 | Colo. Springs, Colorado, United States | Arthur J. Walsh | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 1987 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 | Springfield, Michigan, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Mar 1987 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 | Park City, Utah, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Aug 1987 | Cessna A185F | Mt Airy, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 May 1987 | Grumman G-164B | Beaufort, North Carolina, United States | Thomas J. Adams | No injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 1987 | Piper PA-25-235 | MacClesfield, North Carolina, United States | Pitt Spraying, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 15 Sep 1987 | Cessna 150G | Concord, North Carolina, United States | JIM Bezanson | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Sep 1987 | Cessna 150E | Winston Salem, North Carolina, United States | Professional Pilot, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Sep 1987 | Piper PA-38-112 | Winston Salem, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |