Balloon Works FIREFLY 7B accident near Moorpark, California, June 17, 1990
On June 17, 1990 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 7B, registered N1523C, was involved in an accident near Moorpark, California. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ARREST DESCENT FOR LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 1990 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Moorpark, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 7B · all FIREFLY 7Bs on the register
- Registration
- N1523C · no longer on the register · serial 10342
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
IN A TELEPHONE REPORT TO FAA INSPECTORS, THE PILOT SAID THE BALLOON WAS LANDING IN MILD WINDS, MADE A 'BUMPY' LANDING, AND THE BASKET TIPPED OVER. THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS FELL ON TOP OF THE THIRD PASSENGER, WHO SUSTAINED A FRACTURE OF THE PELVIS.
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: 200 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 150 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.