Balloon Works FIREFLY 7B N36938

Summary

On 7 April 1985 at about 13:05 local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 7B registered N36938 was involved in an accident near Orlando, Florida, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

7 April 1985 at 13:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Orlando, Florida, United States

Coordinates

28.4503, -81.4706

Aircraft

Balloon Works FIREFLY 7B

Registration

N36938

Category

Balloon

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA85FA143

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE BALLOON WAS DESTROYED BY AN EXPLOSION AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE DURING TOUCHDOWN IN AN OPEN FLD. THE PLT AND WITNESSES STATED THE GONDOLA TOUCHED DOWN WITH A 'JOLT' AND TILTED IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A POPPING NOISE WAS HEARD FOLLOWED BY A HISSING NOISE AND A CLOUD OF PROPANE GAS VAPOR WAS SEEN RISING TOWARD THE PILOT LIGHT OF THE BURNER LOCATED NEAR THE OCCUPANT'S HEADS. THE PLT AND ONE PASSENGER ESCAPED FROM THE GONDOLA AS AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED. THE BALLOON THEN ASCENDED APRX 200 FT WITH THE 2ND PASSENGER STILL IN THE GONDOLA. A 2ND EXPLOSION WAS HEARD AT WHICH TIME THE GONDOLA SEPARATED FROM THE ENVELOPE AND FELL TO THE GROUND. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE METAL FITTING CONNECTING THE #1 PROPANE TANK TO THE FUEL SUPPLY HOSE HAD FAILED. METALLURGICAL EXAM DISCLOSED THE FRACTURE WAS DUE TO OVERSTRESS WITH NO EVIDENCE OF FATIGUE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.