Cameron Balloons Z-77 accident near Battle Creek, Michigan, July 3, 2007
On July 3, 2007, a Cameron Balloons Z-77, registered N4021M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Battle Creek, Michigan. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The whisper burner's fuel valve opening for undetermined reasons, which resulted in a fire after landing. A factor in the accident was the balloon envelope's parachute top not reseating.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2007
- Place
- Battle Creek, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cameron Balloons Z-77
- Registration
- N4021M · registry record · serial 6454
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The balloon caught fire after landing during the Battle Creek Field of Flight Hot Air Balloon Festival. The pilot stated that after approximately one hour in the air, the balloon landed safely in a yard. When the pilot looked up inside the top of the balloon envelope, the "parachute top did not reseat." He attempted to reseat the top by using a "blast of heat" from the burners but it did not work. The pilot "knew the balloon would quickly sink down on top of the basket" so he turned the burners to their horizontal position and prepared to push the envelope fabric away. When the balloon envelope began to descend towards the ground the pilot reported that "we suddenly had a fire in the basket." Both the pilot and passenger were able to exit the basket. The pilot "determined the fire was coming from the burners" so he returned to the basket and turned off the fuel tanks. The fire was subsequently extinguished by the passenger and bystanders. An examination of the balloon after the accident revealed the fuel valve for the whisper burners was in the "on" position.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 895 hours in all; 31 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Unknown MI at 11:30 pm
- Destination: Battle Creek MI
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from BTL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 CHI07CA189.