A hot air balloon pilot makes a hard landing and injures 1 of his 3 passenger.

Attributes
ACN	402678
Time
Date	199805
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cag
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : tpa
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	other : other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 2 flight time total : 452 flight time type : 452
ASRS Report	402678
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical inflight encounter other other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

A pleasure hot air balloon ride/flight was initiated at XA30 MST on may/xx/98, in craig, co. The balloon had 1 pilot and 3 passenger. At time of launch surface winds were calm (less than 3-4 mph). An uneventful flight took place with variable wind speeds and directions at various altitudes. At approximately XB25 MST, the decision was made to end the flight and the balloon brought to a lower altitude and a suitable landing site sought. An approach was made to a suitable site but horses were in an adjacent corral. Altitude was gained over the corral. Another site was selected and the commitment made to land. On the approach to the site the surface wind increased to an estimated 12-15 mph. The landing could not be aborted due to the flight characteristics of the balloon and insufficient time or altitude to reheat the balloon to gain altitude. A hard landing was experienced and the basket dragged across the ground. The surface was initially flat for 50 ft, then consisted of a decline, with sage bushes and uneven surface for about 150 ft. Upon the initial impact of the basket with the ground the passenger were unable to remain in the pre-landing position and were piled inside the basket on its lower side, closest to the ground. 1 passenger 'P1' sustained a cut to her head as a result of hitting her head on 1 of the 6 connections of the burner supporting structure (uprights) to the basket. The connections consist of the two structural members held together by a locking pin through holes in each member. The connection is unprotected. Other injuries sustained by 'P1' were abrasions and bruises as a result of the initial impact which caused the other passenger to lie against 'P1,' pinning her into an unprotected position while the balloon basket dragged across the ground until it stopped. Consideration should be given to providing protective covers to the connections between the burner uprights and basket.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT MAKES A HARD LNDG AND INJURES 1 OF HIS 3 PAX.

Narrative: A PLEASURE HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE/FLT WAS INITIATED AT XA30 MST ON MAY/XX/98, IN CRAIG, CO. THE BALLOON HAD 1 PLT AND 3 PAX. AT TIME OF LAUNCH SURFACE WINDS WERE CALM (LESS THAN 3-4 MPH). AN UNEVENTFUL FLT TOOK PLACE WITH VARIABLE WIND SPDS AND DIRECTIONS AT VARIOUS ALTS. AT APPROX XB25 MST, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO END THE FLT AND THE BALLOON BROUGHT TO A LOWER ALT AND A SUITABLE LNDG SITE SOUGHT. AN APCH WAS MADE TO A SUITABLE SITE BUT HORSES WERE IN AN ADJACENT CORRAL. ALT WAS GAINED OVER THE CORRAL. ANOTHER SITE WAS SELECTED AND THE COMMITMENT MADE TO LAND. ON THE APCH TO THE SITE THE SURFACE WIND INCREASED TO AN ESTIMATED 12-15 MPH. THE LNDG COULD NOT BE ABORTED DUE TO THE FLT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BALLOON AND INSUFFICIENT TIME OR ALT TO REHEAT THE BALLOON TO GAIN ALT. A HARD LNDG WAS EXPERIENCED AND THE BASKET DRAGGED ACROSS THE GND. THE SURFACE WAS INITIALLY FLAT FOR 50 FT, THEN CONSISTED OF A DECLINE, WITH SAGE BUSHES AND UNEVEN SURFACE FOR ABOUT 150 FT. UPON THE INITIAL IMPACT OF THE BASKET WITH THE GND THE PAX WERE UNABLE TO REMAIN IN THE PRE-LNDG POS AND WERE PILED INSIDE THE BASKET ON ITS LOWER SIDE, CLOSEST TO THE GND. 1 PAX 'P1' SUSTAINED A CUT TO HER HEAD AS A RESULT OF HITTING HER HEAD ON 1 OF THE 6 CONNECTIONS OF THE BURNER SUPPORTING STRUCTURE (UPRIGHTS) TO THE BASKET. THE CONNECTIONS CONSIST OF THE TWO STRUCTURAL MEMBERS HELD TOGETHER BY A LOCKING PIN THROUGH HOLES IN EACH MEMBER. THE CONNECTION IS UNPROTECTED. OTHER INJURIES SUSTAINED BY 'P1' WERE ABRASIONS AND BRUISES AS A RESULT OF THE INITIAL IMPACT WHICH CAUSED THE OTHER PAX TO LIE AGAINST 'P1,' PINNING HER INTO AN UNPROTECTED POS WHILE THE BALLOON BASKET DRAGGED ACROSS THE GND UNTIL IT STOPPED. CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO PROVIDING PROTECTIVE COVERS TO THE CONNECTIONS BTWN THE BURNER UPRIGHTS AND BASKET.

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.