Balloon Works FIRE FLY 9 N3097R
17 June 2004 · Aurora, Oregon, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 17 June 2004 at about 14:15 local time, a Balloon Works FIRE FLY 9 registered N3097R was involved in an accident near Aurora, Oregon, United States. 7 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Aurora, Oregon, United States
- Nearest airport
- Aurora State (3S2)
- Coordinates
- 45.2667, -122.8167
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIRE FLY 9
- Registration
- N3097R
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Tigard → Aurora
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA04CA109
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
Probable cause
Pilot's failure to compensate for wind conditions. Wind was a contributing factor.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that after about one hour of flight he "...came down to the surface to set up for a landing." He stated the winds were greater than expected (estimated to be 10-12 MPH) and prepared for a high wind landing. The pilot stated that during the landing approach the basket "...impacted land and dragged approximately 30-40 yards before coming to a stop" on its side.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Balloon Works FIRE accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Sep 1994 | Balloon Works FIRE FLY 7-15 | Storm Lake, Iowa, United States | Richard C. Schick | Serious injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 1993 | Balloon Works FIRE FLY 7-15 | Milford, New Hampshire, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Feb 1986 | Balloon Works FIRE FLY 7 | Keller, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 24 Mar 1984 | Balloon Works FIRE FLY 8-24 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 8 Apr 1984 | Balloon Works FIRE FLY 6B | Prescott Valley, Arizona, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Apr 1984 | Balloon Works FIRE FLY 7 | Moorpark, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Mar 2004 | Cessna 172N | Creswell, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Mar 2004 | Piper PA-18 | Sisters, Oregon, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 2004 | Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A | Burns, Oregon, United States | United States Forest Service | No injuries | - |
| 4 Dec 2004 | Maule MX-7-235 | Hermiston, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 May 2004 | Cessna A185F | Molalla, Oregon, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 1 Aug 2004 | Piper PA-24-260 | Redmond, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |