Balloon Works FIREFLY 8 accident near Acton, California, June 5, 1994
On June 5, 1994 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 8, registered N9084D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Acton, California. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper in-flight planning and his misjudging the wind speed information. Contributing factors were the gusty winds and the lack of suitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 1994 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Acton, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 8 · all FIREFLY 8s on the register
- Registration
- N9084D · no longer on the register · serial F8-376
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT LAUNCHED SEVERAL PIBALS TO EVALUATE THE WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED PRIOR TO HIS INITIAL FLIGHT OF THE MORNING. HE THEN TOOK OFF WITH THE FIRST OF SEVERAL GROUPS OF PASSENGERS AND FLEW WITH THEM UNEVENTFULLY FOR ABOUT 1/2 HOUR. THE ACCIDENT PASSENGERS BOARDED THE BALLOON NEXT, AND THEIR INITIAL 1/2-HOUR-LONG FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THEY LANDED, SEVERAL PASSENGERS EXITED THE BALLOON, ONE NEW PASSENGER CLIMBED IN, AND THEY TOOK OFF. DURING THIS FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED OBSERVING THE WIND SPEED INCREASE AND RUNNING LOW ON FUEL. BY THE TIME THE PILOT COMMENCED LANDING EFFORTS, AVAILABLE SITES WERE LIMITED. SEVERAL INITIAL ATTEMPTS WERE ABORTED. FINALLY, WITH ONE FUEL TANK EMPTY AND THE SECOND TANK DOWN TO 25 PERCENT, AND WITH THE WIND SPEED INCREASING, THE PILOT RECOGNIZED THAT HE WAS RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS. HE ELECTED TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE PILOT LANDED THE BALLOON HARD, ON ROUGH TERRAIN, AND IN GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS. THE BALLOON TOUCHED DOWN SHORT OF THE PLANNED SITE AND IMPACTED THE SIDE OF A RAVINE.
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: 680 hours in all; 15 in the last 90 days; 55 on instruments
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 253 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 17, 1993; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,940 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Canyon Country CA at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 10 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°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.