Narrative:

My balloon was launched at XA25. The inflation and flight were without incident. The balloon was headed 230 degrees at a maximum of 18 mph during the first 30 mins of flight. After crossing the target 20 mins into the flight, and noting the surface winds by GPS were reading 010 degrees at 6 mph, I proceeded to look for the first available landing site to avoid the forecasted surface wind increase. The passenger was a female with no physical disabilities and had the experience of many previous flts. At this point of the flight, she was instructed on landing procedures. During this instruction, she assumed her position to be used during landing: positioned in the back of the basket, facing forward in the direction of flight, r-hand grasping the xbrace of the rigid uprights and l-hand grasping the left rear upright, one foot ahead of the other by 4-6 inches, with knees slightly bent to absorb impact shock and avoid spinal compression. I have used this same passenger position successfully for 27 yrs. Flying at 1200 ft AGL the winds had increased to 22-26 mph. Because I frequently fly in these conditions, I am comfortable knowing that surface winds are still less than 10 mph. Rate of descent on contact was 200-300 FPM at an estimated horizontal speed of 12-15 mph with a 200 degree heading. The landing, at XB10, was routine for these conditions and included the expected tipping and 50-60 ft drag. Surface winds after landing were estimated to be 8-10 mph. There was no damage to the balloon or equipment. However, the passenger had sustained a right shoulder injury on initial contact and had taken a semi-kneeling position in basket. Emergency room x-rays 1 hour later confirmed the shoulder was not separated and no bones were broken. The cause of this incident was the pilot selection of the landing site in the vicinity of livestock which resulted in not making a quarter-mi or longer sustained glide prior to landing thereby reducing balloon speed to the minimum possible speed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BALLOON PLT MAKES AN UNSTABLE APCH TO A POORLY CHOSEN LNDG SITE (WITHIN THE VICINITY OF LIVESTOCK) CAUSING INJURY TO PAX.

Narrative: MY BALLOON WAS LAUNCHED AT XA25. THE INFLATION AND FLT WERE WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE BALLOON WAS HEADED 230 DEGS AT A MAX OF 18 MPH DURING THE FIRST 30 MINS OF FLT. AFTER XING THE TARGET 20 MINS INTO THE FLT, AND NOTING THE SURFACE WINDS BY GPS WERE READING 010 DEGS AT 6 MPH, I PROCEEDED TO LOOK FOR THE FIRST AVAILABLE LNDG SITE TO AVOID THE FORECASTED SURFACE WIND INCREASE. THE PAX WAS A FEMALE WITH NO PHYSICAL DISABILITIES AND HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF MANY PREVIOUS FLTS. AT THIS POINT OF THE FLT, SHE WAS INSTRUCTED ON LNDG PROCS. DURING THIS INSTRUCTION, SHE ASSUMED HER POS TO BE USED DURING LNDG: POSITIONED IN THE BACK OF THE BASKET, FACING FORWARD IN THE DIRECTION OF FLT, R-HAND GRASPING THE XBRACE OF THE RIGID UPRIGHTS AND L-HAND GRASPING THE L REAR UPRIGHT, ONE FOOT AHEAD OF THE OTHER BY 4-6 INCHES, WITH KNEES SLIGHTLY BENT TO ABSORB IMPACT SHOCK AND AVOID SPINAL COMPRESSION. I HAVE USED THIS SAME PAX POS SUCCESSFULLY FOR 27 YRS. FLYING AT 1200 FT AGL THE WINDS HAD INCREASED TO 22-26 MPH. BECAUSE I FREQUENTLY FLY IN THESE CONDITIONS, I AM COMFORTABLE KNOWING THAT SURFACE WINDS ARE STILL LESS THAN 10 MPH. RATE OF DSCNT ON CONTACT WAS 200-300 FPM AT AN ESTIMATED HORIZ SPD OF 12-15 MPH WITH A 200 DEG HDG. THE LNDG, AT XB10, WAS ROUTINE FOR THESE CONDITIONS AND INCLUDED THE EXPECTED TIPPING AND 50-60 FT DRAG. SURFACE WINDS AFTER LNDG WERE ESTIMATED TO BE 8-10 MPH. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON OR EQUIP. HOWEVER, THE PAX HAD SUSTAINED A R SHOULDER INJURY ON INITIAL CONTACT AND HAD TAKEN A SEMI-KNEELING POS IN BASKET. EMER ROOM X-RAYS 1 HR LATER CONFIRMED THE SHOULDER WAS NOT SEPARATED AND NO BONES WERE BROKEN. THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS THE PLT SELECTION OF THE LNDG SITE IN THE VICINITY OF LIVESTOCK WHICH RESULTED IN NOT MAKING A QUARTER-MI OR LONGER SUSTAINED GLIDE PRIOR TO LNDG THEREBY REDUCING BALLOON SPD TO THE MINIMUM POSSIBLE SPD.

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.