Balloon Works FIREFLY8B accident near Rock Hill, South Carolina, March 12, 2016
On March 12, 2016 at about 2:00 pm local time, a 1996 Balloon Works FIREFLY8B, registered N3180S, was involved in an accident during landing near Rock Hill, South Carolina. It was a personal flight 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 pilot’s inadequate compensation for wind, which resulted in the balloon landing hard and a passenger sustaining a serious injury.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 2016 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Rock Hill, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY8B 15, built 1996 · all FIREFLY8Bs on the register
- Registration
- N3180S · registry record · serial B8506-3
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was operating a balloon sightseeing trip with two passengers on board. According to the pilot, after the balloon cleared trees during the approach to a field, a wind gust and downdraft caused it to land hard; the balloon sustained no damage. The pilot reported that, for the landing sequence, both passengers were instructed to put their feet and knees together, slightly bend their knees, and hold onto two places in the basket. During the hard landing, one passenger was thrown into another passenger and impacted her leg with his knee, which resulted in her sustaining a serious injury. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon that would have prevented normal operation. The closest weather reporting system, located about 5.5 nautical miles northeast of the accident site, and the pilot reported that the wind was from 110 degrees and between about 3 and 5 knots around the time of the accident. It is likely that the pilot did not adequately compensate for the wind during the landing approach, which resulted in the hard landing and the passenger's serious injuries.
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
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during landing
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › (general) › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, sport pilot
- Ratings: instructor: sport pilot; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 336 hours in all; 336 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 331 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 16, 2014
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: none
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 391 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 8, 2016
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: None Rock Hill SC at 1:00 pm
- Destination: None Rock Hill SC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from KUZA, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 5, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.