Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 accident near Ft. Lupton, Colorado, May 14, 1996
On May 14, 1996 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15, registered N2577G, was involved in an accident near Ft. Lupton, Colorado. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 5 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pasenger's failure to follow the instructions given by the pilot during a briefing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 1996 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ft. Lupton, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 5 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B-15 FIREFLY 8B · all FIREFLY 8B-15s on the register
- Registration
- N2577G · no longer on the register · serial F8B-445
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing, the basket tipped over and one of the passengers had her arm out. It was caught between the basket and the ground. The passengers had been briefed to keep their arms inside the basket during landing.
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: 465 hours in all; 366 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 439 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 366 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 3, 1995; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,900 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Dacono CO at 6:30 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 4 |
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.