TSB Issues Safety Recommendations on Hot Air Balloons

Hot-air balloons must face stricter safety rules to prevent fiery crashes that can result in death or injury, says the Transportation Safety Board. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released two Interim Aviation Safety Recommendations in response to an accident (A07C0151) involving a FireFly...

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Hot-air balloons must face stricter safety rules to prevent fiery crashes that can result in death or injury, says the Transportation Safety Board.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released two Interim Aviation Safety Recommendations in response to an accident (A07C0151) involving a FireFly 12B hot air balloon in a commercial operation that occurred northeast of Winnipeg, Manitoba, last August.

The TSB says balloons are considered aircraft under the Aeronautical Act. However, while balloons can carry up to 12 paying passengers, they are not regulated at a level comparable to that of other commercial aircraft operators.

The TSB recommends that: The Department of Transport ensure that passenger-carrying commercial balloon operations provide a level of safety equivalent to that established for other aircraft of equal passenger-carrying capacity. A08-01

The TSB drew attention to a safety deficiency involving the fuel delivery system for hot air balloons. The flight manual for the accident balloon recommends that fuel be shut off during hard landings and during certain emergency situations. The TSB notes that the FireFly 12B design does not incorporate a single-lever or emergency fuel shut-off, nor is it required.

Therefore, the TSB also recommends that: The Department of Transport ensure that balloons carrying fare-paying passengers have an emergency fuel shut-off. A08-02

On August 11, 2007, a FireFly 12B hot air balloon, C-FNVM, attempted a landing in a field adjacent to Birds Hill Provincial Park near the northern outskirts of Winnipeg. One pilot and 11 passengers were on board for a local sightseeing flight of about one hour's duration, originating in the southeast of Winnipeg. The flight was expected to terminate in an area to the northeast of Winnipeg.

The flight was extended beyond Winnipeg as the pilot searched for a suitable landing area. The winds in the selected landing area were much stronger than anticipated. The balloon touched down and skipped several times. The basket was dragged on its side for about 700 feet and at one point tipped far enough for the burners to strike the ground.

When the balloon stopped, the pilot ordered the passengers to evacuate the basket. A propane fuel leak occurred and an intense uncontrolled fire ensued before the evacuation was completed. The pilot and two passengers suffered serious injuries in the intense fire. Four other passengers suffered minor injuries, some with burns.

Two of the propane tanks and a fire extinguisher canister exploded, and the basket of the balloon was destroyed by the fire.

The balloon was operated by Sundance Balloons International under Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) 5812-10-36 issued by Transport Canada.

The board's recommendations need approval by Transport Canada before they can be enacted.

Sundance Balloons reportedly said it is ready to abide by whatever new rules are deemed necessary. "We operate at a level beyond what is currently required for hot-air balloons in Canada," Sundance president Barry McGonigle said from his company's head office in Belmont, Ontario. "Should Transport Canada decide that they're going to change it, we'll be there shoulder-to-shoulder."

August was a bad month for commercial hot air balloon operators in Canada.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada continues to investigate the loss of a hot air balloon on Aug. 24 near Vancouver, British Columbia that killed a woman and her adult daughter.

The hot air balloon, with 12 passengers and a pilot on board, caught fire just prior to being launched. Investigators are looking into whether a propane leak caused the balloon to become a fireball.

Most of the passengers and the veteran pilot were able to leap to the ground. One passenger jumped from the rising balloon, but the two women remained in the basket.

The burning balloon crashed into a recreational vehicle park, destroying trailers and vehicles, but their occupants escaped without injury.