Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 accident near Statesville, North Carolina, February 24, 2017
On February 24, 2017 at about 10:20 pm local time, a 1986 Balloon Works FIREFLY 7, registered N7423D, was involved in an accident near Statesville, North Carolina. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s decision to place one foot on the balloon basket and one foot on the floor during the landing, which resulted in a broken ankle.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 2017 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Statesville, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 UNDESIGNAT, built 1986 · all FIREFLY 7s on the register
- Registration
- N7423D · registry record · serial F7-291
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot and flight instructor of the balloon were performing their ninth training flight. The instructor reported that, during the flight, the student made an approach to a grass field about 5 knots. During the landing, there were multiple touchdowns, and during the first, the balloon "rebounded back up" and touched down again about 65 ft northwest of the initial touchdown point. During the second touchdown, the student pilot put his right foot on the front of the basket to brace for the landing, and his left foot remained on the floor of the basket. The balloon touched down, and the student pilot rolled his ankle. The balloon "rebounded back up," and the flight instructor pulled the valve line to deflate the balloon. The balloon came to rest about 30 ft farther to the northwest. The student pilot sustained a broken ankle. The balloon did not sustain substantial damage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation. Per the recommendation of the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the flight instructor reported the following: In an effort to prevent an accident similar to the one that occurred with N7423D, I will brief student pilots as to the importance of bracing oneself correctly and that two feet on the floor during touch downs will provide better stability from the human factors perspective of balance. I will also discuss this event in future safety forums within the balloon community in order to enhance safety. It is my belief that these actions will help to prevent any future occurrences of this nature.
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
- 551093 during descent - normal
- 551110 during descent - normal
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Issuing instructions › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Ratings: none, none, none, BALL
- Flight time: 1,090 hours in all; 924 in this make and model; 15.2 in the last 90 days; 4.5 in the last 30 days; 1,090 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 2, 2016
- Medical certificate: none
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Ratings: none, none, none, none
- Flight time: 7.5 hours in all; 7.5 in this make and model; 7.5 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: none
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 326.9 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, December 8, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 1,660 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Balloon Works T3-017(burner (none); 327 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: N/A Cool Spring Tow NC at 10:04 pm
- Destination: Statesville NC
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scattered
- Temperature: 73°C, dew point 54°C
- Altimeter: 29.799999 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from KJQF, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number GAA17CA155.