Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fitzgerald, Georgia 31750
Friday, March 16, 2012 19:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The balloon pilot conducted multiple sport parachute flights throughout the day without obtaining a weather briefing. A SIGMET for severe thunderstorms, hail, and cloud tops to 45,000 feet was in effect for the area surrounding the takeoff and accident sites. Shortly after the balloon lifted off on the accident flight, the ground crew was advised of a severe storm warning for the area and observed the storm on radar via their cellular telephones. The crew contacted the pilot by radio to advise him that the storm was growing quickly. The pilot informed the ground crew that he would attempt to climb over the storm but shortly thereafter expressed doubts that the balloon would be able to rise over it.
The ground crew watched the balloon disappear into the clouds but continued to receive altitude and weather updates from the pilot via radio. The pilot described being battered by wind and heavy hail, and the altitude updates came quickly as the balloon climbed in an updraft. Around 12,000 feet, the pilot repeated, "I don't think I'm going to get over this thing." About 17,000 feet, the pilot advised that the balloon was descending and stated, "I got nothing over my head." In his last transmission to the crew, at an altitude of 2,000 feet, the pilot advised that he had the ground in sight. The crew dialed 911 and drove the chase vehicle in the direction where they thought the balloon would land. As they pursued the balloon through the storm, they experienced hard rain and hail "the size of golf balls." All major components of the balloon were recovered and a detailed examination indicated multiple envelope tears, including a few small puncture holes consistent with contact with trees. Several lines of the outer sheath had burned away, but the lines were intact with no evidence of fraying or wear.
Video footage taken by parachutists during the balloon's ascent on the accident flight captured audio of the pilot's conversation with the ground crew and provided visual evidence of the developing storm as the balloon entered the base of the clouds. The footage then showed parachutists exit from the basket well after the balloon had entered the clouds and visual contact with the ground had been lost. According to the balloon manufacturer's emergency procedure for weather deterioration during flight, pilots should "land immediately rather than fly into severe atmospheric turmoil…Severe atmospheric forces are capable of taking over and exposing the flight to the hazards of immense envelope stresses and uncontrollable contact with the ground…"
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's intentional flight into adverse weather. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to obtain a weather briefing and his failure to follow the balloon manufacturer's published emergency procedure for weather deterioration during flight.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/16/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1900 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Fitzgerald |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 31750 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 314308N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0830433W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1915 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 240 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FZG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 365 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 11000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 9 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.14 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KFZG 162100Z 22005KT 9SM SCT060 SCT180 29/13 |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 7 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30711 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern C-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 3 2013 10:09AM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N14643 |
| NTSB Number | ERA12LA231 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | FIREFLY BALLOONS INC |
| Aircraft Model | FIREFLY 8 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | F8-2018 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Balloon |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 0 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 10 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 8 |
| Airframe Hours | 114 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RISTAINO EDWARD |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | CORNELIUS |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 28031-6662 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | RISTAINO EDWARD |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | CORNELIUS |
| Operator State | NC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 28031-6662 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Skydiving |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Fitzgerald |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1830 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Fitzgerald |
| Destination State | GA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 3 2013 10:10AM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |