Balloon Works Firefly 8B-15 accident near Colo. Springs, Colorado, September 2, 2001
On September 2, 2001 at about 2:15 pm local time, a Balloon Works Firefly 8B-15, registered N2575P, suffered minor damage in an accident near Colo. Springs, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the passenger's failure to follow instructions given to brace for a high wind landing, and the pilot's failure to adequately monitor the passenger's actions. A contributing factor was the thermal lift.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 2001 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Colo. Springs, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works Firefly 8B-15 · all Firefly 8B-15s on the register
- Registration
- N2575P · registry record · serial F8B-436
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and his passenger took off in the balloon, leveled off at 1,000 feet, and flew south. The wind velocity increased to about 15 mph and the pilot decided to land. He chose a field in which two balloons had already landed. He briefed his passenger on the position to assume for a high wind landing. The pilot made a "stand up" landing, but a thermal caused the balloon to ascend about 30 to 40 feet. It touched down a second time and the pilot vented the envelope. According to the pilot, the "passenger's foot was out of position and twisted on impact." X-rays taken later indicated the ankle was fractured.
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: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 131 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 96 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2000
- Medical certificate: None
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 198 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 23, 2001; 4 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Colo. Springs CO at 1:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 am from COS
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 DEN01LA158.