Summary
On October 19, 1991, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 (N4051L) was involved in an accident near Webster, NH. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury, with 2 people uninjured out of 3 aboard. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: FAILURE OF THE GROUND CREWMAN (FROM ANOTHER BALLOON) TO RECOGNIZE THE HAZARDOUS CONDITION THAT EXISTED, WHEN THE BALLOON CAME IN CONTACT WITH A HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINE DURING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE PRECAUTIONARY LANDING, THE PROXIMITY OF THE POWER LINE, FAILURE OF THE BALLOON PILOT TO REMAIN CLEAR OF THE POWER LINE, AND THE GROUND CREWMAN'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY COMMUNICATE WITH THE BALLOON PILOT.
This accident is documented in NTSB report NYC92LA010. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N4051L.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
FAILURE OF THE GROUND CREWMAN (FROM ANOTHER BALLOON) TO RECOGNIZE THE HAZARDOUS CONDITION THAT EXISTED, WHEN THE BALLOON CAME IN CONTACT WITH A HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINE DURING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE PRECAUTIONARY LANDING, THE PROXIMITY OF THE POWER LINE, FAILURE OF THE BALLOON PILOT TO REMAIN CLEAR OF THE POWER LINE, AND THE GROUND CREWMAN'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY COMMUNICATE WITH THE BALLOON PILOT.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC92LA010