Balloon Works FIREFLY 9 accident near Vacaville, California, September 29, 1990
On September 29, 1990 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 9, registered N90902, was involved in an accident near Vacaville, California. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 8 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE BALLOON'S ENCOUNTER WITH A SUDDEN INCREASE IN WIND SPEED ACCOMPAINED BY A STRONG DOWN DRAFT BEYOND THE COMPENSATION CAPABILITY OF THE BALLOON.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 1990 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Vacaville, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 8 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 9 · all FIREFLY 9s on the register
- Registration
- N90902 · registry record · serial F9-039
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE TWO FLIGHTS CONDUCTED EARLIER IN THE MORNING WERE NORMAL WITH WINDS IN THE 4 MPH RANGE. ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE WINDS SUDDENLY INCREASED FROM 4 TO 12 MPH. THE PILOT THEN SAID, 'INSTANTLY, WITHOUT INDICATION, A WHIRLWIND CAUGHT THE BALLOON AND SPUN IT 360 DEGREES; A DOWNDRAFT OCCURRED WITH A DESCENT RATE OF 500 FEET PER MINUTE.' THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO ARREST THE RATE OF DESCENT AND THE BALLOON COLLIDED WITH A SET OF POWER LINES, THEN THE GROUND.
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: 3,225 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 218 in the last 90 days; 110 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,285 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 2:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 18 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 8 |
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 LAX90LA340.