What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On December 31, 1999, an Aerostar international, Raven S49A balloon, N6316U, operated by a private pilot, was destroyed when it sustained a hard landing and a fire broke out. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR part 91. No flight plan was on file. The pilot and passenger on board sustained minor injuries. The balloon was operating from a field 6 miles south of Flandreau, south dakota. In her statement to the federal aviation administration, the pilot said that while she was airborne, the winds picked up. She said that she made a couple of landing attempts before the landing attempt which resulted in the hard landing was made. During the hard landing, the balloon's burner came loose, catching the basket on fire. The fire perpetuated as the balloon's basket was being dragged. The pilot and the passenger egressed the basket. The balloon traveled another half-mile before finally coming to rest. The balloon's basket and bottom 1/3 of the envelope were destroyed by fire. (-23)privacy data omitted pilot on N6316U, was coming in to land, encountered a high wind gust and amde a hard landing. The burner came loose from its mounting bracket, pilot could not turn off the burner assembly. Pilot and passenger escaped with minor injuries and the aircraft was destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON DECEMBER 31, 1999, AN AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL, RAVEN S49A BALLOON, N6316U, OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT SUSTAINED A HARD LANDING AND A FIRE BROKE OUT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER ON BOARD SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE BALLOON WAS OPERATING FROM A FIELD 6 MILES SOUTH OF FLANDREAU, SOUTH DAKOTA. IN HER STATEMENT TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, THE PILOT SAID THAT WHILE SHE WAS AIRBORNE, THE WINDS PICKED UP. SHE SAID THAT SHE MADE A COUPLE OF LANDING ATTEMPTS BEFORE THE LANDING ATTEMPT WHICH RESULTED IN THE HARD LANDING WAS MADE. DURING THE HARD LANDING, THE BALLOON'S BURNER CAME LOOSE, CATCHING THE BASKET ON FIRE. THE FIRE PERPETUATED AS THE BALLOON'S BASKET WAS BEING DRAGGED. THE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER EGRESSED THE BASKET. THE BALLOON TRAVELED ANOTHER HALF-MILE BEFORE FINALLY COMING TO REST. THE BALLOON'S BASKET AND BOTTOM 1/3 OF THE ENVELOPE WERE DESTROYED BY FIRE. (-23)^PRIVACY DATA O^ PILOT ON N6316U, WAS COMING IN TO LAND, ENCOUNTERED A HIGH WIND GUST AND AMDE A HARD LANDING. THE BURNER CAME LOOSE FROM ITS MOUNTING BRACKET, PILOT COULD NOT TURN OFF THE BURNER ASSEMBLY. PILOT AND PASSENGER ESCAPED WITH MINOR INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.