Firefly 7-15
Jamestown, RI — July 19, 2008
Event Information
| Date | July 19, 2008 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | MIA08CA146 |
| Event ID | 20080908X01413 |
| Location | Jamestown, RI |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 41.52778, -71.36667 |
| Airport | Quonset State Airport |
| Highest Injury | SERS |
Aircraft
| Make | Firefly |
| Model | 7-15 |
| Category | BALL |
| FAR Part | 091 |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 1 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 1 |
Probable Cause
The pilot's excessive descent maneuver.
Full Narrative
The pilot of the Firefly 7-15 balloon stated that he was departing Richmond Airport (08R), West Kingston, Rhode Island, for the athletic field at the University of Rhode Island, where a balloon festival was taking place. After departing 08R with two passengers on a commercial sightseeing flight, he followed the path of several other balloons towards the athletic field. The pilot descended towards his intended landing target, but did not descend quickly enough and drifted past it to the south. He looked for alternate landing sites, but was unable to find one that was suitable. After crossing half of Narragansett Bay, and while running low on fuel, the pilot attempted to land in a small field in Jamestown. As he was descending he noticed power lines off to one side of the landing site. In order to avoid them, he descended quickly and instructed the passengers to bend their knees for impact. The balloon landed hard while avoiding the power lines. The balloon incurred no damage and one of the passengers suffered a serious foot injury.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.