Balloon Works BARNES FF-8-24 accident near Phoenix, Arizona, March 19, 1987
On March 19, 1987 at about 2:50 pm local time, a Balloon Works BARNES FF-8-24, registered N3750D, suffered minor damage in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona. It was a business flight 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 1987 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 5 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works BARNES FF-8-24 BARNES FF-
- Registration
- N3750D · registry record · serial F8-027
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A LOCAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT UPON LIFT-OFF THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR AND CALM. DURING THE FLIGHT, HOWEVER, THE WIND CONDITIONS HAD INCREASED FROM A WESTERLY DIRECTION AT A VELOCITY OF 12 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 15. THE PILOT DECIDED TO TERMINATE THE FLIGHT AND PREPARED THE PASSENGERS FOR A HIGH WIND LANDING. PRIOR TO TOUCH-DOWN A GUST OF WIND PUSHED THE BALLOON TOWARDS A MOBILE HOME, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A RE-HEAT TO GAIN ALTITUDE, HOWEVER, BEFORE ENOUGH ALTITUDE WAS GAINED THE BASKET STRUCK THE HOME. THE BALLOON THEN CLEARED THE HOME AND LANDED APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM THE INITIAL COLLISION WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE PLTS FLT TIME WAS NOT REPORTED OR AVAILABLE
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: balloon
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 347 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 8, 1986; 58 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Unknown UNK (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Phoenix AZ at 1:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 12 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N3750D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.