Balloon Works FIREFLY 7-15 N2582U
13 January 2024 · Albany, Texas, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 13 January 2024 at about 15:00 local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 7-15 registered N2582U was involved in an accident near Albany, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one was 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 15:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Albany, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 32.7829, -99.3660
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 7-15
- Registration
- N2582U
- Category
- Balloon
- Year built
- 1995
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Abilene → Albany
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN24LA093
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain a proper descent rate during the landing approach in a high wind condition.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that he was unable to arrest the balloon’s descent during a high wind landing approach, during which the balloon contacted trees. The balloon sustained substantial damage to the envelope and load tape. The pilot sustained a serious injury when he was ejected from the basket during the hard landing. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Balloon Works FIREFLY accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Sep 2023 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 | Anderson, South Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 Oct 2018 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 | Placitas, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 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 | - |
| 6 May 2012 | Balloon Works FIREFLY 7-15 | Hallsville, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2024 | Robinson R44 | Galveston, Texas, United States | Galveston Helicopter Adventures, LLC | No injuries | - |
| 9 Jun 2024 | Stinson VULTEE V-77 | Slaton, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Oct 2024 | Boeing A75N1 | Denton, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Feb 2024 | Boeing 737-823 | Dallas, Texas, United States | American Airlines Inc | No injuries | - |
| 12 Apr 2024 | American Champion 7ECA | Longview, Texas, United States | Letourneau University | No injuries | - |
| 5 Sep 2024 | Piper PA-28-140 | Borger, Texas, United States | Grog Holdings LLC | No injuries | - |