Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 accident near Monte Vista, Colorado, November 11, 1983
On November 11, 1983 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 7, registered N2416H, was involved in an accident near Monte Vista, Colorado. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 1983 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Monte Vista, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 · all FIREFLY 7s on the register
- Registration
- N2416H · no longer on the register · serial 7717
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS PARTICIPATING IN A 'HARE & HOUNDS' BALLOON CONTEST. THE AIRCREWS WERE WX BRIEFED AT THE LAUNCH SITE BEFORE THE EVENT. REPORTEDLY, THERE WAS A FRONT APPROACHING BUT IT WAS NOT EXPECTED TO MOVE THRU UNTIL ABOUT 2 TO 3 HRS AFTER THE CONTEST. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, THE WINDS WERE BLOWING AT 3 TO 5 MPH WHEN HE TOOK OFF. ABOUT 15 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF, HE OBSERVED THAT THE WIND ON THE GROUND APPEARED TO BE INCREASING & ELECTED TO LAND IN A PLOWED FIELD. HE PLANNED TO LAND FROM A RAPID DESCENT TO AVOID BEING DRAGGED BY THE WINDS. THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING THE LANDING, HE DIDN'T BEND HIS LEGS & SUBSEQUENTLY BROKE HIS RIGHT LEG ABOVE THE ANKLE DURING TOUCHDOWN. HE REPORTED THE WINDS WERE GUSTING TO 25 KTS.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 28 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 13 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 166 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 28, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 19 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.