Balloon Works Firefly 9 accident near Questa, NM
On March 30, 2008, a Balloon Works Firefly 9 (balloon) was involved in an accident near Questa, NM. 5 people were seriously injured. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 30, 2008
- Place
- Questa, NM
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works Firefly 9 · Balloon
- Injuries
- 0 fatal, 5 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 36.706°N, 105.593°W
- NTSB ID
- 20080403X00416
NTSB summary
On March 30, 2008, at 0830 mountain daylight time, a Balloon Works Firefly 9 hot air balloon, N72345, was destroyed after it made a hard landing in an open field and caught fire near Questa, New Mexico. The balloon was registered to and operated by the Pueblo Balloon Company, Taos, New Mexico. The certified commercial pilot sustained minor injuries, and the five passengers were seriously injured. No flight plan was filed for the flight that departed from Taos, New Mexico, around 0730. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local sightseeing flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. In a telephone interview, the pilot stated that he is the owner of Pueblo Balloon Company. Depending on weather conditions, he usually only makes one flight per day, which is in the early morning hours. The pilot said that before the flight, he obtained weather information from the local airports and also released pilot-balloons to determine wind direction. He also said that during the flight, his "chase crew" also released pilot- balloons. The winds were calm at the beginning of the flight and then "arced" toward the north-northwest while en route; however, he did not know the speed of the wind. Other wise, he described the weather as clear of clouds and unlimited visibility. The pilot stated that he and the five passengers departed from a launch site near the John Dunn Memorial Bridge, in Taos, New Mexico, then flew down the Rio Grande Gorge. The flight was normal and "lackadaisical", until the last few minutes of the flight. As the pilot descended to a large op
Probable cause
The balloon's encounter with a wind gust/downdraft during landing, which resulted in a hard landing.
More accidents in NM
- Gates Learjet 25D, Sep 5, 1993
- Piper PA-32-300, Dec 26, 1982
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-30, Jun 25, 1992
- Cessna 421C, Feb 11, 1985
- Beech 58, Mar 26, 1982
Browse: New Mexico · Balloon Works aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
