What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On October 4, 1999, at 0535 central daylight time, a linstrand Lbl-GB1000 gas balloon, british registration g-bwok, landed hard during a precautionary landing near Mcalester, Oklahoma. The balloon, which was registered to and operated by a british citizen, was not damaged. The pilot sustained serious injuries and the pilot rated passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight and a flight plan was not filed. The balloon was participating in the "gordon bennet balloon race" and departed from albuquerque, new Mexico, on October 2, 1999, at 2130. According to balloon race officials, the balloon encountered inclement weather while overflying Oklahoma. The pilot advised air traffic control (fort worth ARTCC) that they were initiating a precautionary landing. During the landing, the balloon contacted trees, and the pilot sustained a broken back. (-23)the gas air balloon crew, while copeting in the gordon bennet race, made a precautionary landing, due to threating weather, and landed hard in a field close to Mcalester, Oklahoma. The surface winds were estimated to be in excess on 20 knots at the time of landing. The pilot in commad was thrown from the basket and the basket was drug over him. The second in command stayed in the basket until it stopped. There was minor damage to the basket and no damage to the envelope. (.4)the balloon was participating in a long distance race and had been airborne for approximately 31.5 hours. The pilot had been aware of thunderstorms in the balloon's flight path for about 6.5 hours and had been attempting to track away from the storms, but was unable to do so. According to the pilot, the balloon was in level flight at 7,000 feet, above a cloud layer, when he initiated a precautionary landing to avoid an encounter with the thunderstorms. The balloon broke out at 1,280 feet AGL in dark night light conditions. The balloon landed hard and then became airborne again reaching a height of 80 feet. During the second ground contact, the pilot was ejected from the basket, and subsequently, the basket 'dragged' over the pilot and then came to a stop. The pilot reported that the winds were from 360 degrees at 20 knots gusting to 22 knots. The pilot stated that 'improved met [eorological] information would have allowed a night landing to be made at 3 knots eariler rather than at 20 knots.'
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON OCTOBER 4, 1999, AT 0535 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A LINSTRAND LBL-GB1000 GAS BALLOON, BRITISH REGISTRATION G-BWOK, LANDED HARD DURING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING NEAR MCALESTER, OKLAHOMA. THE BALLOON, WHICH WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A BRITISH CITIZEN, WAS NOT DAMAGED. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND THE PILOT RATED PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE BALLOON WAS PARTICIPATING IN THE "GORDON BENNET BALLOON RACE" AND DEPARTED FROM ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, ON OCTOBER 2, 1999, AT 2130. ACCORDING TO BALLOON RACE OFFICIALS, THE BALLOON ENCOUNTERED INCLEMENT WEATHER WHILE OVERFLYING OKLAHOMA. THE PILOT ADVISED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (FORT WORTH ARTCC) THAT THEY WERE INITIATING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. DURING THE LANDING, THE BALLOON CONTACTED TREES, AND THE PILOT SUSTAINED A BROKEN BACK. (-23)THE GAS AIR BALLOON CREW, WHILE COPETING IN THE GORDON BENNET RACE, MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING, DUE TO THREATING WEATHER, AND LANDED HARD IN A FIELD CLOSE TO MCALESTER, OKLAHOMA. THE SURFACE WINDS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE IN EXCESS ON 20 KNOTS AT THE TIME OF LANDING. THE PILOT IN COMMAD WAS THROWN FROM THE BASKET AND THE BASKET WAS DRUG OVER HIM. THE SECOND IN COMMAND STAYED IN THE BASKET UNTIL IT STOPPED. THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE BASKET AND NO DAMAGE TO THE ENVELOPE. (.4)THE BALLOON WAS PARTICIPATING IN A LONG DISTANCE RACE AND HAD BEEN AIRBORNE FOR APPROXIMATELY 31.5 HOURS. THE PILOT HAD BEEN AWARE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE BALLOON'S FLIGHT PATH FOR ABOUT 6.5 HOURS AND HAD BEEN ATTEMPTING TO TRACK AWAY FROM THE STORMS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE BALLOON WAS IN LEVEL FLIGHT AT 7,000 FEET, ABOVE A CLOUD LAYER, WHEN HE INITIATED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING TO AVOID AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS. THE BALLOON BROKE OUT AT 1,280 FEET AGL IN DARK NIGHT LIGHT CONDITIONS. THE BALLOON LANDED HARD AND THEN BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN REACHING A HEIGHT OF 80 FEET. DURING THE SECOND GROUND CONTACT, THE PILOT WAS EJECTED FROM THE BASKET, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, THE BASKET 'DRAGGED' OVER THE PILOT AND THEN CAME TO A STOP. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE WINDS WERE FROM 360 DEGREES AT 20 KNOTS GUSTING TO 22 KNOTS. THE PILOT STATED THAT 'IMPROVED MET [EOROLOGICAL] INFORMATION WOULD HAVE ALLOWED A NIGHT LANDING TO BE MADE AT 3 KNOTS EARILER RATHER THAN AT 20 KNOTS.'