Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B accident near Wilsonville, Oregon, June 16, 1996
On June 16, 1996 at about 1:15 pm local time, a Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B, registered N71233, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wilsonville, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain clearance from the static wire, which became shorted to a transmission wire and subsequently caused a fire to erupt on the balloon's envelope. Factors relating to the accident were: the obstructions (power line wires), and the pilot's reduced ability to visually detect the static wire, due to the gray sky condition in the background.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 1996 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- Wilsonville, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 8B · all FIREFLY 8Bs on the register
- Registration
- N71233 · no longer on the register · serial F8B-148
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Having aborted the first attempt to land, the pilot was maneuvering the balloon for a landing in a second field. He maneuvered to pass over high tension (power line) wires, but did not see the static wire. The balloon subsequently impacted the static wire, which broke and began arcing after contact with the high voltage wires beneath. A fire erupted on the balloon's envelope, but the pilot was able to land without igniting the propane tanks. A high, thin, gray overcast existed at the time, which made visual acquisition of the single static wire difficult.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 250 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 9, 1996; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 990 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:47 pm from HIO, 17 miles away
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.