Balloon Works FIREFLY AX-9 N3141C
15 August 1998 · Brookhaven, New York, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 15 August 1998 at about 22:30 local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY AX-9 registered N3141C was involved in an accident near Brookhaven, New York, United States. 7 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 22:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Brookhaven, New York, United States
- Coordinates
- 40.7795, -72.9091
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY AX-9
- Registration
- N3141C
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC98LA199
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
Probable cause
The failure of the passenger to comply with the pilot briefing, and properly brace herself for landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The hot air balloon was on a local flight with a pilot and six passengers. The passengers were instructed on how to flex their knees at landing. The pilot reported that prior to landing, he instructed a passenger to either hang onto the balloon structure or him. The passenger remembered the pilot saying it would be a hard landing and to hang onto him, which she did. Upon touchdown, she lost her grip, and sat or fell to the bottom of the basket. As she was going down, her right foot was pressed against a fuel tank and did not move. She fractured some bones in her right ankle. The pilot reported that he flexed his knees at touchdown as was his standard practice, and remained standing along with the other five passengers. The pilot described the landing as soft, and another balloon pilot who watched the landing said it did not appear to be hard. The injured passenger and another passenger onboard the balloon described the landing as hard, with a bounce. The winds were described as 5 to 6 knots.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Balloon Works FIREFLY accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 May 1998 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7-15 | Waterloo, Iowa, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Aug 1998 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 | Freehold, New Jersey, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 5 Oct 1998 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 8 Oct 1998 | Balloon Works FIREFLY-7 | Alberquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 May 1998 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7-B | Longmont, Colorado, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Mar 1998 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 | Elk Garden, Virginia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Aug 1998 | Boeing 727-200 | Jamaica, New York, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jul 1998 | Cessna 172K | Chateaugay, New York, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Jul 1998 | Miehl TEAM HI-MAX-1700R | Jamestown, New York, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Jun 1998 | Cessna CE-500 | Fishers Island, New York, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Nov 1998 | King KITFOX IV | Gasport, New York, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Nov 1998 | Boeing 747-400 | Jamaica, New York, United States | Asiana Airlines | Minor injuries | - |