Firefly Balloons, INC FIREFLY 10 accident near Temecula, California, November 9, 2013
On November 9, 2013 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 2007 Firefly Balloons, INC FIREFLY 10, registered N1623L, was involved in an accident near Temecula, California. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 people were seriously injured; 5 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to follow the Landing checklist and his inadvertent contact with the blast valve after landing, which released propane that was then ignited by an undetermined source.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 9, 2013 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Temecula, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were seriously injured; 5 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Firefly Balloons, INC FIREFLY 10, built 2007
- Registration
- N1623L · no longer on the register · serial F10-2007
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After a 1-hour local sightseeing flight, the commercial pilot landed the balloon, disembarked some passengers, and kept a few passengers on board as he moved the balloon to a trailer. The pilot reported that, after setting the balloon down on the trailer, he extinguished the burner's pilot light and then took the burner down from the flight position to put it in the storage bag attached to the side of the basket. While putting the burner in the bag, he bumped the blast valve, and the burner then released propane, which ignited and resulted in a fire; the ignition source was not determined. The pilot and four passenger sustained serious injuries. The Landing checklist in the Balloon Flight Manual stated, in part, that pilots should ensure that all of the valves were firmly closed before touchdown and should bleed all of the fuel lines after landing. However, a postaccident interview with the pilot revealed the he did not shut off the appropriate valves or bleed the system of gas after he extinguished the pilot light. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot's failure to follow the Landing checklist allowed the burner to release propane when he inadvertently bumped the blast valve after landing.
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
What happened, in order
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › (general) › (general) › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: balloon; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: none
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Temecula CA at 3:00 pm
- Destination: Temecula CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 3:58 pm from KRIV, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 | 5 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on November 1, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Burner Examination Notes | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Inspector Observations | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Sherriff's Narrative | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Flight Manual Excerpts Firefly 10 Balloons | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Evidence Control Form - Burners | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.