Balloon Works Firefly 8B-15 accident near Celina, Texas, June 23, 2001
On June 23, 2001 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Balloon Works Firefly 8B-15, registered N72524, was involved in an accident near Celina, Texas. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the unsuitable landing area selected by the pilot-in-command which resulted in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the uneven/rough terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 2001 · about 8:15 pm local time · cases in 2001
- Place
- Celina, Texas · 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
- N72524 · registry record · serial F8B-615
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial balloon pilot was demonstrating an upslope landing on a terraced hill. The balloon bounced on one of the terraces, and the student pilot was "thrown forward." The student pilot lost her footing, one of her shoes became lodged in the bottom of the basket, and she sustained a broken ankle. The instructor aborted the landing, and landed the balloon at the next available field.
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: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: balloon; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 965 hours in all; 15 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 623 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 12 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 28.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 27, 2000; 28.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,900 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: None (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Mckinney TX
- Destination: TX
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N72524 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 8 183 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Balloon Works 565 aircraft on the register
- Engine: None · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,064 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,958 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/FTW01LA154.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.