Balloon Works FIREFLY II N7244X

Summary

On 11 August 2000 at about 13:25 local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY II registered N7244X, operated by HOT Air Expeditions, was involved in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona, United States. 11 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 2 had minor injuries. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 August 2000 at 13:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

33.6796, -112.0897

Aircraft

Balloon Works FIREFLY II

Registration

N7244X

Category

Balloon

Operator

HOT Air Expeditions

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

LAX00LA292

1 person was seriously injured.

The 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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On a for-hire sightseeing flight, the balloon encountered unusual wind conditions and collided with the ground after the envelope partially collapsed. One passenger sustained a fractured ankle in the hard landing. The pilot said that a preflight weather briefing contained no flight precautions for the proposed flight area. The launch site is in a flood control basin near a dam and surrounded by hills. Following launch, the pilot contoured a hill and, as the balloon neared the top, it encountered a wind shear the pilot described as a direction change of 70 degrees with a speed of 10 to 12 knots. The pilot said that on the lee side of the hill, he encountered a downdraft followed immediately by an updraft. The pilot said he believed he encountered a wind rotor. The rapid changes in air mass movement distorted the balloon envelope and resulted in spilling some of the heated air. The balloon then entered a rapid descent the pilot was unable to arrest with three burners going and collided with the ground. The METAR for an airport 4 miles away at the time of the accident was reporting winds from 100 degrees at 8 knots. The pilot did not use pibals or other on sight wind quantification devices prior to launch.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.