Firefly Balloons Galaxy 11B accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 27, 2006
On July 27, 2006 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Firefly Balloons Galaxy 11B, registered N2190S, was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 7 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
fuel exhaustion, resulting in the pilot's inability to relight one of two burners, and resulting in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2006 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 7 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Firefly Balloons Galaxy 11B
- Registration
- N2190S · no longer on the register · serial GLX-1311B
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that they had been aloft for about 45 minutes. The wind had shifted several times and he decided to land in an open field. There were power lines that bordered the field. The pilot ascended to clear the power lines but the wind shifted again and carried the balloon toward trees and the Rio Grande. The pilot vented the balloon "less than 30 feet above the ground and did a steep end landing in less than 3 knots. The balloon came down with low impact, bounced once, about 3 feet and came to a stop upright." Passengers, however, told an FAA inspector that the pilot attempted to slow the descent by activating one burner of a two-burner system. He tried lighting the burner with a striker, but it would not stay lit due to insufficient fuel. The balloon landed hard and bounced. One passenger, who was holding on to a strap, fractured her arm when she struck it with her head.
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: 1,517 hours in all; 186 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,517 as pilot in command; 421 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: None
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 185 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Rio Rancho NM at 12:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from ABQ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 7 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N2190S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.