Balloon Works FIREFLY II N7021U
28 September 2003 · Phoenix, Arizona, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 28 September 2003 at about 15:20 local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY II registered N7021U, operated by Get Carried Away Hot Air Balloon Company, was involved in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona, United States. 12 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. 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 15:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona, United States
- Nearest airport
- Phoenix Deer Valley (KDVT)
- Coordinates
- 33.6883, -112.0825
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY II
- Registration
- N7021U
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Get Carried Away Hot Air Balloon Company
- 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
- LAX04CA003
People
2 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
Probable cause
the pilot's diverted attention that resulted in the inadequate handling of the burner during ground operations.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The balloon sustained fire damage to the envelope while it was on the ground. One of the passengers became ill during the flight. The pilot landed the balloon in a field, and he waited for the ground crew to arrive. While he was waiting, he applied heat to the balloon to keep it standing. Each time that he applied burner, he would look to ensure that it was not contacting the envelope. Just as the ground crew arrived, he glanced at the balloon and began another burn. As he was speaking with the crew, the flame made contact with the envelope. The crew evacuated the passengers from the balloon as portions of the burning fabric fell from it. Several panels were directly burned; melting fabric damaged others. The pilot noted no mechanical problems with the balloon.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Balloon Works FIREFLY accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 May 2002 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7B-15 | Port Allen, Louisiana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2002 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7B-15 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States | Flying High Balloon Services | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Feb 2004 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 11 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Hot Air Expeditions | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Oct 2004 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 | Piedmont, Oklahoma, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 2001 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 | Celina, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 2001 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 | Colo. Springs, Colorado, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jan 2003 | Piper PA-23-250 | Flagstaff, Arizona, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 12 Jul 2003 | Cessna 172S | Chandler, Arizona, United States | Angel Air | No injuries | - |
| 25 Apr 2003 | Piper PA-28-181 | Bullhead City, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Aug 2003 | Ercoupe 415-C | Saint Johns, Arizona, United States | Robert Greenwade | No injuries | - |
| 15 Mar 2003 | Piper PA24 | Mesa, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Aug 2003 | Cessna 150C | Tucson, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |