Balloon Works FIREFLY 6 accident near Hudson, Iowa, June 13, 1982
On June 13, 1982 at about 1:15 pm local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 6, registered N2067F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hudson, Iowa. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 1982 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- Hudson, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 6 · all FIREFLY 6s on the register
- Registration
- N2067F · no longer on the register · serial 611
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE BALLOON WAS IN A DESCENT AND WAS APPROACHING THE LANDING AREA WHEN THE BURNER PILOT-LIGHT WENT OUT. WITHOUT THE BURNER, THE PILOT WAS FORCED TO LAND SHORT OF HIS SELECTED FIELD. HE SPILLED THE AIR FROM THE BALLOON AND TOUCHED DOWN JUST SHORT OF AN 8000 VOLT POWER LINE. THE ENVELOPE FELL ACROSS THE LINES. THE PILOT DISCONNECTED THE BASKET FROM THE ENVELOPE AND ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE ENVELOPE FROM THE POWER LINES. HOWEVER, THE ENVELOPE "CAUGHT ON FIRE" AND WAS DESTROYED.
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: 343 hours in all; 343 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 332 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 352 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Dock Built Homes, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: Waterloo IA
- Destination: Waterloo IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 MKC82DA102.