Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 N2575P
2 September 2001 · Colo. Springs, Colorado, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 2 September 2001 at about 14:15 local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 registered N2575P was involved in an accident near Colo. Springs, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Colo. Springs, Colorado, United States
- Coordinates
- 38.8109, -104.7100
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15
- Registration
- N2575P
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Colo. Springs → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN01LA158
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
the passenger's failure to follow instructions given to brace for a high wind landing, and the pilot's failure to adequately monitor the passenger's actions. A contributing factor was the thermal lift.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot and his passenger took off in the balloon, leveled off at 1,000 feet, and flew south. The wind velocity increased to about 15 mph and the pilot decided to land. He chose a field in which two balloons had already landed. He briefed his passenger on the position to assume for a high wind landing. The pilot made a "stand up" landing, but a thermal caused the balloon to ascend about 30 to 40 feet. It touched down a second time and the pilot vented the envelope. According to the pilot, the "passenger's foot was out of position and twisted on impact." X-rays taken later indicated the ankle was fractured.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Balloon Works FIREFLY accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Jun 2001 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 | Celina, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 May 2002 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7B-15 | Port Allen, Louisiana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2002 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7B-15 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States | Flying High Balloon Services | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 Apr 2000 | Balloon Works FIREFLY F-15 | Anthony, New Mexico, United States | Marta C. Pritchard | No injuries | - |
| 6 Aug 2000 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 8 | Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Aug 2000 | Balloon Works FIREFLY II | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | HOT Air Expeditions | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Mar 2001 | Cessna T210L | Howard, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 9 Jun 2001 | Luscombe 8E | Longmont, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Sep 2001 | Boeing A75N1 (PT17) | Watkins, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 Nov 2001 | Esbenshade STARDUSTER TOO SA300 | Evans, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Aug 2001 | Aviat A-1 | Montrose, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 28 Aug 2001 | Bradley RANS S-7 | Fruita, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |