ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 352847
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| Date: | Wednesday 11 August 1999 |
| Time: | 08:30 LT |
| Type: |  Balloon Works FIREFLY 9 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N2570E |
| MSN: | F9-060 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1995 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 285 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | Hartsel, CO -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
As he approached the touchdown point, the pilot flared the balloon and pulled the deflation line. The line broke and fell into the basket. The pilot was unable to deflate the balloon because the line had broken inside the envelope near the parachute harness. The ground crew secured the balloon long enough for the passengers to exit, then the wind dragged it across the ground. Holes were cut in the middle portion of the envelope to gain access to the deflation valve, and the balloon was deflated. Examination of the deflation line by NTSB's Materials Laboratory disclosed glazing damage to the outer cover, typical of heat damage. According to the manufacturer, the Kevlar braided inner core chars at 890 degrees F. The nylon or polyester braided outer covering has a stick point of 430 degrees F. and a melting point of 492 degrees F. A new line has a nominal strength of 4,000 pounds.
Probable Cause: Total failure of the deflation line due to heat damage (as evidenced by glazing), most likely caused by the improper use of the flight controls (burner system) by person(s) unknown.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB DEN99IA154
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Mar-2024 06:44 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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