Narrative:

I was in level flight with 2 passenger in basket, I located what appeared to be a good landing site. I stabilized balloon until we crossed a power line, then set up approach into field. At approximately 60 ft AGL, I burned to flare for landing. At 50 ft AGL, I encountered cold air layer which arrested descent at approximately 20 ft AGL. Balloon went across landing site, and landed approximately 5 ft from chain link fence, 4 ft high with 3 strand barbed wire on top, mounted at 45 degree angle toward aircraft. Basket slid into a sand berm next to fence, then tipped toward fence. Pilot and 80 yr old passenger stayed inside basket and were uninjured. Pilot had briefed passenger to stay low in basket and hold on to ropes inside basket. 1 passenger, pilot's wife, grabbed suede on top edge of basket, trapping her left hand between barbed wire and basket. This pulled her head and shoulder into wire. Injuries were minor, but paramedics responded to call from another person. Passenger sustained bruises on left hand, and laceration on scalp. Experienced passenger had not fully heeded pilot's briefing, resulting in minor injury.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX BEHAVIOR DISREGARD OF PLT'S BRIEFING LED TO PAX INJURY.

Narrative: I WAS IN LEVEL FLT WITH 2 PAX IN BASKET, I LOCATED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A GOOD LNDG SITE. I STABILIZED BALLOON UNTIL WE CROSSED A PWR LINE, THEN SET UP APCH INTO FIELD. AT APPROX 60 FT AGL, I BURNED TO FLARE FOR LNDG. AT 50 FT AGL, I ENCOUNTERED COLD AIR LAYER WHICH ARRESTED DSCNT AT APPROX 20 FT AGL. BALLOON WENT ACROSS LNDG SITE, AND LANDED APPROX 5 FT FROM CHAIN LINK FENCE, 4 FT HIGH WITH 3 STRAND BARBED WIRE ON TOP, MOUNTED AT 45 DEG ANGLE TOWARD ACFT. BASKET SLID INTO A SAND BERM NEXT TO FENCE, THEN TIPPED TOWARD FENCE. PLT AND 80 YR OLD PAX STAYED INSIDE BASKET AND WERE UNINJURED. PLT HAD BRIEFED PAX TO STAY LOW IN BASKET AND HOLD ON TO ROPES INSIDE BASKET. 1 PAX, PLT'S WIFE, GRABBED SUEDE ON TOP EDGE OF BASKET, TRAPPING HER L HAND BTWN BARBED WIRE AND BASKET. THIS PULLED HER HEAD AND SHOULDER INTO WIRE. INJURIES WERE MINOR, BUT PARAMEDICS RESPONDED TO CALL FROM ANOTHER PERSON. PAX SUSTAINED BRUISES ON L HAND, AND LACERATION ON SCALP. EXPERIENCED PAX HAD NOT FULLY HEEDED PLT'S BRIEFING, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURY.

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.