Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 accident near Placitas, New Mexico, October 10, 2018
On October 10, 2018 at about 3:43 pm local time, a 2001 Balloon Works FIREFLY 7, registered N7252H, was involved in an accident during approach near Placitas, New Mexico. It was an air show or air race flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to properly estimate the height of terrain while descending the balloon, which resulted in the balloon impacting a hill and passengers sustaining serious injuries.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 2018 · about 3:43 pm local time · cases in 2018
- Place
- Placitas, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 15, built 2001 · all FIREFLY 7s on the register
- Registration
- N7252H · registry record · serial F7-1103
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Air show or air race flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that, as he descended and maneuvered the balloon to check the wind for landing, the balloon impacted a hill that was higher than what he expected. He reported that the balloon's airspeed was between 15 and 20 mph when the collision occurred. Both passengers sustained a serious injury during the impact with the hill. Following the impact, the pilot initiated a burn to gain altitude, and shortly after, he landed the balloon with the assistance of his ground crew. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the balloon that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Situational awareness › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Expectation/assumption › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Flight time: 437.7 hours in all; 437.7 in this make and model; 9.8 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 437.7 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 19, 2017
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: serious injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 425.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 30, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: Albuquerque NM at 2:51 pm
- Destination: Placitas NM
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:52 pm from ABQ, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on February 12, 2019. 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/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N7252H on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Balloon Works FIREFLY 7 345 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Balloon Works 565 aircraft on the register
- Accidents and incidents in New Mexico 1,423 since 1982 · 184 in the last ten years
- New Mexico 3,111 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR19TA005.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.