Balloon Works FIREFLY 7B-15 N25360

Summary

On 11 May 2002 at about 12:45 local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 7B-15 registered N25360 was involved in an accident near Port Allen, Louisiana, United States. 2 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.

Date

11 May 2002 at 12:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Port Allen, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

30.7886, -91.4278

Aircraft

Balloon Works FIREFLY 7B-15

Registration

N25360

Category

Balloon

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Baton Rouge → Port Allen

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW02LA146

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's decision to land in the sugar cane field, which resulted in the pilot's unintentional exit from the basket. A contributing factor was the high vegetation in the field.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After a routine flight, the pilot elected to land in a sugar cane field. Prior to landing, the pilot pulled the vent line to deflate the balloon. When the basket started to tip over onto its side, it dragged along the ground. The basket of the balloon "got hung up on a cane row for a few seconds" as the envelope continued forward for a few feet, pulling the pilot "up and in front of the basket." Subsequently, the basket "came loose" from the cane row and struck the pilots leg.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.