Balloon Works FIREFLY 11 N7244X

Summary

On 13 February 2004 at about 16:25 local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 11 registered N7244X, operated by Hot Air Expeditions, was involved in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona, United States. 11 people were on board and 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 February 2004 at 16:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

33.7339, -112.0736

Aircraft

Balloon Works FIREFLY 11

Registration

N7244X

Category

Balloon

Operator

Hot Air Expeditions

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Phoenix → Phoenix

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX04LA123

3 people had minor injuries.

the failure of the deflation vent line, which resulted in the pilot not being able to control the balloon in the increased wind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and 10 passengers were dragged across desert terrain in a balloon, following the pilot's attempt to land. After an uneventful flight, the balloon touched down and the pilot initiated the deflation sequence. Several seconds into the deflation, the balloon's vent line separated. The separation occurred inside the balloon's envelope, resulting in the deflation mechanism becoming reseated. The surface wind increased and the pilot lost control of the balloon. Several passengers shouted that they wanted to egress the balloon carriage, but the pilot advised them that the change in weight would cause the balloon to become airborne. The carriage was dragged about 1,600 feet across terrain, colliding with cactus, rocks, and bushes. After the accident, the failed vent line was examined at the manufacturer's facility. The line construction was in conformance to the manufacturer's specification. Deterioration of the core fiber was typical of that resulting from flexural fatigue. However, due to the absence of information regarding the rigging configuration and/or conditions of use, the cause of the core-fiber deterioration was inconclusive. The manufacturer noted that the failed core fiber points at the failure point were consistent with one or more of the following conditions: insufficient bend radius while rope is under load; pinching of rope between objects; severe localized overloading.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.