Balloon Works FIREFLY 9 incident near Hartsel, Colorado, August 11, 1999
On August 11, 1999 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 9, registered N2570E, suffered minor damage in an incident near Hartsel, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Total failure of the deflation line due to heat damage (as evidenced by glazing), most likely caused by the improper use of the flight controls (burner system) by person(s) unknown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 1999 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hartsel, Colorado · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 9 · all FIREFLY 9s on the register
- Registration
- N2570E · registry record · serial F9-060
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As he approached the touchdown point, the pilot flared the balloon and pulled the deflation line. The line broke and fell into the basket. The pilot was unable to deflate the balloon because the line had broken inside the envelope near the parachute harness. The ground crew secured the balloon long enough for the passengers to exit, then the wind dragged it across the ground. Holes were cut in the middle portion of the envelope to gain access to the deflation valve, and the balloon was deflated. Examination of the deflation line by NTSB's Materials Laboratory disclosed glazing damage to the outer cover, typical of heat damage. According to the manufacturer, the Kevlar braided inner core chars at 890 degrees F. The nylon or polyester braided outer covering has a stick point of 430 degrees F. and a melting point of 492 degrees F. A new line has a nominal strength of 4,000 pounds.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: balloon
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 285 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 11, 1999; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,285 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE CO at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 7 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.