What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19)On February 11, 1999, about 0837 hours mountain standard time, an Aerostar international,inc., RX-9 balloon, N91067, owned and operated by the pilot, made a hard landing in Peoria, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 aerial sightseeing passenger flight. The balloon was substantially damaged. The commercial pilot and one passenger were seriously injured, and the other four passengers sustained minor injures. The revenue flight commenced from an open field north of phoenix, Arizona, about 0743. The pilot reported that at takeoff the surface wind was about 3 knots. After flying between 35 to 40 minutes the wind speed increased to 15 knots, and the pilot began looking for a suitable landing site. As the balloon approached the desired site, beyond residential homes, a wind gust was encountered. The envelope lost volume and the balloon rapidly descended. The pilot stated he initially attempted to arrest the descent and fired both burners, but the descent continued. A ground-based witness reported observing the balloon suddenly descend as it approached a residential neighborhood. The witness observed the balloon impact the tile roof of a house. Thereafter, the gondola tipped 90 degrees onto its side. None of the occupants were ejected. The balloon then impacted the roof of an adjacent house, and it came to rest upon touching down hard in an open field. The pilot indicated that because of the prevailing (estimated) 15-knot surface wind, the gondola was dragged approxiamtely 300 feet before coming to a stop on its side. (-23)the pilot reported light wind during inflation and takeoff. Shortly after takeoff the winds increased +15 (estimated), after approximately 45 minutes of flight, an approach for landing in an open field was made over residential houses. During the landing approach a wind shear caused the balloon to loose altitude rapidly. The pilot fired both burners in attempt to stop the rapid decent. The gondola struck the roof of two houses causing damage to both houses prior to landing in the intended open field. The pilot of another balloon launched at the same spot and time and flew the same flight path and made the same approach and landed in the same open field also reported a severe "downdraft" over the residential area during landing app roach but was able to stop his aircraft descent above the rofftops. The following weather briefing was given the pilot by fss: forcast: "moderate occasional turbulence, strong and gusty low level windshear and downdrafts, moderate turbulence in phx area.
As the FAA filed it
(.19)ON FEBRUARY 11, 1999, ABOUT 0837 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, AN AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL,INC., RX-9 BALLOON, N91067, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, MADE A HARD LANDING IN PEORIA, ARIZONA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 AERIAL SIGHTSEEING PASSENGER FLIGHT. THE BALLOON WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED, AND THE OTHER FOUR PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURES. THE REVENUE FLIGHT COMMENCED FROM AN OPEN FIELD NORTH OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA, ABOUT 0743. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AT TAKEOFF THE SURFACE WIND WAS ABOUT 3 KNOTS. AFTER FLYING BETWEEN 35 TO 40 MINUTES THE WIND SPEED INCREASED TO 15 KNOTS, AND THE PILOT BEGAN LOOKING FOR A SUITABLE LANDING SITE. AS THE BALLOON APPROACHED THE DESIRED SITE, BEYOND RESIDENTIAL HOMES, A WIND GUST WAS ENCOUNTERED. THE ENVELOPE LOST VOLUME AND THE BALLOON RAPIDLY DESCENDED. THE PILOT STATED HE INITIALLY ATTEMPTED TO ARREST THE DESCENT AND FIRED BOTH BURNERS, BUT THE DESCENT CONTINUED. A GROUND-BASED WITNESS REPORTED OBSERVING THE BALLOON SUDDENLY DESCEND AS IT APPROACHED A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. THE WITNESS OBSERVED THE BALLOON IMPACT THE TILE ROOF OF A HOUSE. THEREAFTER, THE GONDOLA TIPPED 90 DEGREES ONTO ITS SIDE. NONE OF THE OCCUPANTS WERE EJECTED. THE BALLOON THEN IMPACTED THE ROOF OF AN ADJACENT HOUSE, AND IT CAME TO REST UPON TOUCHING DOWN HARD IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT BECAUSE OF THE PREVAILING (ESTIMATED) 15-KNOT SURFACE WIND, THE GONDOLA WAS DRAGGED APPROXIAMTELY 300 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A STOP ON ITS SIDE. (-23)THE PILOT REPORTED LIGHT WIND DURING INFLATION AND TAKEOFF. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE WINDS INCREASED +15 (ESTIMATED), AFTER APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES OF FLIGHT, AN APPROACH FOR LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD WAS MADE OVER RESIDENTIAL HOUSES. DURING THE LANDING APPROACH A WIND SHEAR CAUSED THE BALLOON TO LOOSE ALTITUDE RAPIDLY. THE PILOT FIRED BOTH BURNERS IN ATTEMPT TO STOP THE RAPID DECENT. THE GONDOLA STRUCK THE ROOF OF TWO HOUSES CAUSING DAMAGE TO BOTH HOUSES PRIOR TO LANDING IN THE INTENDED OPEN FIELD. THE PILOT OF ANOTHER BALLOON LAUNCHED AT THE SAME SPOT AND TIME AND FLEW THE SAME FLIGHT PATH AND MADE THE SAME APPROACH AND LANDED IN THE SAME OPEN FIELD ALSO REPORTED A SEVERE "DOWNDRAFT" OVER THE RESIDENTIAL AREA DURING LANDING APP ROACH BUT WAS ABLE TO STOP HIS AIRCRAFT DESCENT ABOVE THE ROFFTOPS. THE FOLLOWING WEATHER BRIEFING WAS GIVEN THE PILOT BY FSS: FORCAST: "MODERATE OCCASIONAL TURBULENCE, STRONG AND GUSTY LOW LEVEL WINDSHEAR AND DOWNDRAFTS, MODERATE TURBULENCE IN PHX AREA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.