Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 N3716G
6 August 1995 · Owego, New York, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 6 August 1995 at about 13:41 local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 registered N3716G was involved in an accident near Owego, New York, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 13:41
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Owego, New York, United States
- Coordinates
- 42.0995, -76.2597
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 7
- Registration
- N3716G
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Endicott → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC95LA182
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate evaluation of weather conditions which resulted in an encounter with a downdraft, inflight loss of control, and a collision with a vehicle.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The commercial pilot had been invited on the flight as a passenger by the private pilot/owner. The commercial pilot stated that during the flight they encountered turbulence and he started flying the balloon. He intended to land in an open parking lot; however, the balloon drifted towards a highway. As the balloon was approaching the highway, a downdraft was encountered, and a tractor trailer on the highway collided with the balloon's basket. The commercial pilot and one passenger were thrown from the basket. The private pilot/owner landed the balloon following the collision.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Balloon Works FIREFLY accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jul 1995 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 | Littleton, Colorado, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 1995 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 | Colorado Spgs, Colorado, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 Dec 1995 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7-15 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 13 May 1994 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7-B | Burlington, North Carolina, United States | Carter, William A. | No injuries | - |
| 29 Oct 1994 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 | Nashua, New Hampshire, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 14 May 1996 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 | Ft. Lupton, Colorado, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jun 1995 | Piper PA-38-112 | Utica, New York, United States | George E Barth | Minor injuries | - |
| 29 Sep 1995 | Waco UPF-7 | Staten Island, New York, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 1995 | Kemp ACRO-SPORT II | Honeoye Falls, New York, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Sep 1995 | Piper PA-28-180 | Warwick, New York, United States | Theodore LEB | No injuries | - |
| 4 Oct 1995 | Cessna 172N | Caton, New York, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 7 Oct 1995 | Cessna P206A | Fishkill, New York, United States | Gerard H. Wood | Fatal | 1 |