Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 accident near Anthony, Kansas, May 11, 2013
On May 11, 2013 at about 11:00 am local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15, registered N3171L, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Anthony, Kansas (Anthony Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to monitor the balloon's altitude, which resulted in the balloon impacting an airport rotating beacon tower.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 2013 · about 11:00 am local time
- Place
- Anthony, Kansas · Anthony Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 · all FIREFLY 8B-15s on the register
- Registration
- N3171L · registry record · serial F8B-493
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The balloon had just taken off from the airport as part of a balloon rally. The pilot said that the balloon was about 150 to 200 feet above the ground and that he was checking his flight instruments when the balloon encountered a “false lift condition” and settled on top of the rotating beacon tower on the airport. The balloon envelope was torn open, deflating the envelope, and the basket settled on the ground. A postaccident examination of the balloon showed substantial damage to the top one-third of the envelope's fabric and load tapes. No preaccident anomalies were found that would have precluded normal operation of the balloon.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 415 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Balloonport Of Oklahoma INC
The flight
- Departed from: ANY Anthony KS at 11:00 am
- Destination: ANY Anthony KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,700 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 am from AVA, 43 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN13CA278.