19990522046379A

(-23) On may 22, 1999, about 0824 hours pacific daylight time, a cameron balloons A-250, N3037V, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing near Windsor, CA. The local sightseeing flight departed an open field three miles north approximately 35 minutes earlier. The commercial pilot/owner was operating the flight under provisions of 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot and copilot were not injured, thirteen passengers sustained minor injuries, and two passengers sustained serious injuries. (.4) the balloon basket hit hard and overturned during a precautionary landing. The pilot contacted the tower at the intended point of landing 2 miles away, and they notified him of winds gusting to 21 knots. The wind was calm at the balloon's location, but the pilot decided to land. Before he could get the balloon to the ground, the winds increased rapidly. The balloon hit the ground and went through a fence prior to a hard collision with the steep bank of a creek. The pilot was ejected as he tried to deflate the balloon, and the copilot landed the balloon. It hit hard and the basket turned o nto its side. The balloon flight manual (fm) requires the balloon to be equipped with helmets for each passenger and recommends that they be worn during landings in winds 10 mph or greater. It instructs the pilot to brief passengers on proper use prior to flight. The pilot did not have enough helmets on board to equip every passenger, did not brief the passengers that they were available, and did not brief them on the equipment's proper use. About 3 hours before the flight, the pilot contacted a flight service station for weather information at his destination. This brief occurred a few minutes prior to the release of the next scheduled aerodrome forecast (TAF), which noted the possibility of a rapid increase in wind velocity about the time of the actual landing. The estimated time of arrival for which the pilot obtained the brief could not be established. The pilot did not update his briefing prior to launch. It could not be established if he obtained a standard briefing, abbreviated briefing, or requested specific information. The pilot recalled receiving winds aloft, but not a forecast for high surface winds. The airman's information manual states that if the pilot requests either a standard or abbreviated weather briefing, a briefer will automatically provide adverse conditions both present and forecast. The briefer will provide a destination forecast for the estimated time of arrival and any significant changes within 1 hour before and after the planned arrival time.