What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Hard landed. Passenger fell twisted and broke an ankle. (-23) on October 10, 1997, approximately 0900 mountain daylight time, an Aerostar S-60A hot air balloon, N7154E, sustained no damage during landing at Albuquerque, new Mexico. The commercial pilot and one passenger were not injured, but another passenger sustained a serious injury. The pilot gave his passengers a preflight briefing that included the positions to assume during landing. After flying about 30 minutes, a landing approach was initiated. The pilot instructed the passengers to assume the landing position. The pilot said a normal landing was made and upon touchdown, one passenger fell to a squatting position and her foot was laterally rotated, resulting in a fracture of her ankle.
As the FAA filed it
HARD LANDED. PASSENGER FELL TWISTED AND BROKE AN ANKLE. (-23) ON OCTOBER 10, 1997, APPROXIMATELY 0900 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AEROSTAR S-60A HOT AIR BALLOON, N7154E, SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE DURING LANDING AT ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED, BUT ANOTHER PASSENGER SUSTAINED A SERIOUS INJURY. THE PILOT GAVE HIS PASSENGERS A PREFLIGHT BRIEFING THAT INCLUDED THE POSITIONS TO ASSUME DURING LANDING. AFTER FLYING ABOUT 30 MINUTES, A LANDING APPROACH WAS INITIATED. THE PILOT INSTRUCTED THE PASSENGERS TO ASSUME THE LANDING POSITION. THE PILOT SAID A NORMAL LANDING WAS MADE AND UPON TOUCHDOWN, ONE PASSENGER FELL TO A SQUATTING POSITION AND HER FOOT WAS LATERALLY ROTATED, RESULTING IN A FRACTURE OF HER ANKLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N7154E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.