Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 N7252H
10 October 2018 · Placitas, New Mexico, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 10 October 2018 at about 15:43 local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 registered N7252H was involved in an accident near Placitas, New Mexico, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 15:43
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Placitas, New Mexico, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.3075, -106.4911
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 7
- Registration
- N7252H
- Category
- Balloon
- Year built
- 2001
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Air Race/Show
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Albuquerque → Placitas
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR19TA005
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to properly estimate the height of terrain while descending the balloon, which resulted in the balloon impacting a hill and passengers sustaining serious injuries.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The private pilot reported that, as he descended and maneuvered the balloon to check the wind for landing, the balloon impacted a hill that was higher than what he expected. He reported that the balloon's airspeed was between 15 and 20 mph when the collision occurred. Both passengers sustained a serious injury during the impact with the hill. Following the impact, the pilot initiated a burn to gain altitude, and shortly after, he landed the balloon with the assistance of his ground crew. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Balloon Works FIREFLY accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jul 2017 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B 15 | Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 24 Feb 2017 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 | Statesville, North Carolina, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 May 2013 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 | Anthony, Kansas, United States | Balloonport of Oklahoma Inc | No injuries | - |
| 3 Sep 2023 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 | Anderson, South Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 May 2012 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7-15 | Hallsville, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jan 2024 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7-15 | Albany, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Dec 2018 | Cessna 180 | Moriarty, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Jun 2018 | Cessna T210 | Clovis, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 2018 | Aerovodochody L 29 DELFIN | Moriarty, New Mexico, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Oct 2018 | Cessna 182 | Canoncito, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 10 Jun 2018 | Taylorcraft BC12 D | Santa Teresa, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 2018 | Airborne Windsports EDGE XT-912-L | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |