Narrative:

The situation was a high wind landing in a hot air balloon. Several mins before coming upon clear area to land. I noticed wind on deck was approximately 7-8 mph. At this point I radioed crew members on ground to notify them I would be landing in 2 or 3 mins short of the dirt road they were on. Noting there was a very clear area at that location, and the ground terrain after the clear area was very rough for several mi. At this point I began positioning my passenger for a high wind landing. After accomplishing this task, I descended the aircraft at a slow rate form approximately 25 ft AGL to approximately 3 ft AGL. After this was done, within a matter of seconds I came to the clearest area. At this point I pulled my valve line to release some hot air to descend the remaining short distance to the surface. At the same time using my burner to replace some of the heat I had released. Just before touchdown I stopped burning. At this point (touchdown) I pulled my valve line again to stop the aircraft as soon as possible. At this point, which is normal, the gondola lifted off the ground 2 or 3 ft, and swung forward. On the backswing we touched down again. Which is preferable, because this is the point of slowest ground speed. All above is normal during a high wind landing. After the second touchdown the gondola lifts up only a matter of inches, and moves forward. At this point there is not enough momentum to actually swing the gondola. On the third and final touchdown the 105000 cubic ft envelop dragged the gondola at about a 45 degree angle. Again which is normal in this situation. At this point I regard one of my passenger morning. Which concerned me. Since normally at point the passenger are quiet, or hollering with excitement. From the third, and touchdown to complete stop was approximately 50 ft. Upon complete stop, I turned to check my passenger. Which were all still holding onto their designated position. At this time the gondola is still leaning at a 30-40 degree angle. With the envelope about 30-40 percent inflated. I asked my passenger to remain tucked down inside the gondola while it gently laid on over. After the gondola had laid over, and most of the envelope was on the ground, I stood on the ground in front of the gondola and helped my passenger that was feeling discomfort out of the gondola, and then had the other passenger unload from the gondola. At this point my passenger was feeling faint. So with the help of my other passenger, we helped her lie down on the envelope in front of the gondola. At the time the balloon had come to a complete stop, but had not laid over yet. I shut the fuel system down on the aircraft. After I had the passenger lying down, I radioed my crew to bring the van and water as soon as possible. When they arrived my passenger was hurting very much when she tried to breathe . At this point I had my crew go call 911. To have paramedics come to the scene. From my standpoint, as the pilot, I've run the incident through my mind many, many times. And given the exact same conditions, the exact same location. I will do everything the same way over again. I don't mean to sound cruel or callous. It's just that my training and my experience tell me that I did everything correctly given the circumstances.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PAX INJURED HER RIBS ON LNDG.

Narrative: THE SIT WAS A HIGH WIND LNDG IN A HOT AIR BALLOON. SEVERAL MINS BEFORE COMING UPON CLR AREA TO LAND. I NOTICED WIND ON DECK WAS APPROX 7-8 MPH. AT THIS POINT I RADIOED CREW MEMBERS ON GND TO NOTIFY THEM I WOULD BE LNDG IN 2 OR 3 MINS SHORT OF THE DIRT ROAD THEY WERE ON. NOTING THERE WAS A VERY CLR AREA AT THAT LOCATION, AND THE GND TERRAIN AFTER THE CLR AREA WAS VERY ROUGH FOR SEVERAL MI. AT THIS POINT I BEGAN POSITIONING MY PAX FOR A HIGH WIND LNDG. AFTER ACCOMPLISHING THIS TASK, I DSNDED THE ACFT AT A SLOW RATE FORM APPROX 25 FT AGL TO APPROX 3 FT AGL. AFTER THIS WAS DONE, WITHIN A MATTER OF SECONDS I CAME TO THE CLEAREST AREA. AT THIS POINT I PULLED MY VALVE LINE TO RELEASE SOME HOT AIR TO DSND THE REMAINING SHORT DISTANCE TO THE SURFACE. AT THE SAME TIME USING MY BURNER TO REPLACE SOME OF THE HEAT I HAD RELEASED. JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN I STOPPED BURNING. AT THIS POINT (TOUCHDOWN) I PULLED MY VALVE LINE AGAIN TO STOP THE ACFT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. AT THIS POINT, WHICH IS NORMAL, THE GONDOLA LIFTED OFF THE GND 2 OR 3 FT, AND SWUNG FORWARD. ON THE BACKSWING WE TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN. WHICH IS PREFERABLE, BECAUSE THIS IS THE POINT OF SLOWEST GND SPD. ALL ABOVE IS NORMAL DURING A HIGH WIND LNDG. AFTER THE SECOND TOUCHDOWN THE GONDOLA LIFTS UP ONLY A MATTER OF INCHES, AND MOVES FORWARD. AT THIS POINT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO ACTUALLY SWING THE GONDOLA. ON THE THIRD AND FINAL TOUCHDOWN THE 105000 CUBIC FT ENVELOP DRAGGED THE GONDOLA AT ABOUT A 45 DEG ANGLE. AGAIN WHICH IS NORMAL IN THIS SIT. AT THIS POINT I REGARD ONE OF MY PAX MORNING. WHICH CONCERNED ME. SINCE NORMALLY AT POINT THE PAX ARE QUIET, OR HOLLERING WITH EXCITEMENT. FROM THE THIRD, AND TOUCHDOWN TO COMPLETE STOP WAS APPROX 50 FT. UPON COMPLETE STOP, I TURNED TO CHK MY PAX. WHICH WERE ALL STILL HOLDING ONTO THEIR DESIGNATED POS. AT THIS TIME THE GONDOLA IS STILL LEANING AT A 30-40 DEG ANGLE. WITH THE ENVELOPE ABOUT 30-40 PERCENT INFLATED. I ASKED MY PAX TO REMAIN TUCKED DOWN INSIDE THE GONDOLA WHILE IT GENTLY LAID ON OVER. AFTER THE GONDOLA HAD LAID OVER, AND MOST OF THE ENVELOPE WAS ON THE GND, I STOOD ON THE GND IN FRONT OF THE GONDOLA AND HELPED MY PAX THAT WAS FEELING DISCOMFORT OUT OF THE GONDOLA, AND THEN HAD THE OTHER PAX UNLOAD FROM THE GONDOLA. AT THIS POINT MY PAX WAS FEELING FAINT. SO WITH THE HELP OF MY OTHER PAX, WE HELPED HER LIE DOWN ON THE ENVELOPE IN FRONT OF THE GONDOLA. AT THE TIME THE BALLOON HAD COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, BUT HAD NOT LAID OVER YET. I SHUT THE FUEL SYS DOWN ON THE ACFT. AFTER I HAD THE PAX LYING DOWN, I RADIOED MY CREW TO BRING THE VAN AND WATER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WHEN THEY ARRIVED MY PAX WAS HURTING VERY MUCH WHEN SHE TRIED TO BREATHE . AT THIS POINT I HAD MY CREW GO CALL 911. TO HAVE PARAMEDICS COME TO THE SCENE. FROM MY STANDPOINT, AS THE PLT, I'VE RUN THE INCIDENT THROUGH MY MIND MANY, MANY TIMES. AND GIVEN THE EXACT SAME CONDITIONS, THE EXACT SAME LOCATION. I WILL DO EVERYTHING THE SAME WAY OVER AGAIN. I DON'T MEAN TO SOUND CRUEL OR CALLOUS. IT'S JUST THAT MY TRAINING AND MY EXPERIENCE TELL ME THAT I DID EVERYTHING CORRECTLY GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.