Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sedona, Arizona 86339
Tuesady, August 23, 1994 7:00 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
PRIOR TO TAKE OFF, THE PILOT LAUNCHED A PIBAL WHICH INDICATED THAT THE SURFACE WIND WAS NEARLY CALM, AND THE WINDS ALOFT WERE ABOUT 5 MPH. BETWEEN 5 AND 7 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE PLANNED TIME OF LANDING, THE WIND SPEED INCREASED TO ABOUT 8 MPH. AT THE TIME, THE BALLOON WAS OVERFLYING UNSUITABLE TERRAIN FOR LANDING. AFTER A FEW ADDITIONAL MINUTES OF FLYING, THE PILOT LOCATED A CLEAR AREA. THE PILOT BRIEFED THE PASSENGERS TO PREPARE FOR A NON-STANDUP HIGH WIND LANDING. ALTHOUGH AT TOUCHDOWN THE PILOT VENTED AIR FROM THE BALLOON, IT TIPPED OVER AND DRAGGED ALONG THE TERRAIN BETWEEN 75 AND 100 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A STOP.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
a tip over of the balloon and basket during a high wind landing due to the pilot's inability to compensate for the increased wind speed conditions during the final stages of the flight and landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/23/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 700 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | SEDONA |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 86339 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 30 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1772 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 24 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 930 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:01PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N90299 |
| NTSB Number | LAX94LA337 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BALLOON WORKS |
| Aircraft Model | FIREFLY 8-24 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | FIREFLY 8- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | F8-300 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2020 |
| Aircraft Category | Balloon |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 0 |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 11 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 99 |
| Airframe Hours | 441 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LAWRENCE & EILEEN SPRAQUE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3230 VALLEY VISTA DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | SEDONA, |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 86339 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | RED ROCK BALLOON ADVENTURES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3230 VALLEY VISTA DRIVE |
| Operator City | SEDONA |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 86339 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 605 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |