What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) After a hard landing, everyone evacuated the basket, including the pilot who assumed the envelope had sufficiently deflated so as not to become airborne again. The balloon did become airborne and when it came down the basket landed on Mr. Anderson's leg and as a result his ankle was fractured.(.19) on October 20, 2001, about 1730 eastern daylight time, a certificated commercial pilot was seriously injured when a cameron balloons A-105, N991FA, made an inadvertent ascension near Morgantown, west Virginia. The balloon was not damaged, and the four passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 aerial sightseeing flight. According to the pilot, the balloon made a hard landing and came to rest on the ground. The pilot climbed out of the basket to vent the bag and was soon followed by the remaining passengers. As the last passenger exited the basket, the balloon began to rise back into the air with the pilot hanging onto the vent line. The pilot ascended as high as the tree line before descending back to the ground. After he touched back down on the ground, the basket of the balloon landed on top of his ankle. The recorded weather at a nearby airport, about the time of the accident, included winds from 200 degrees at 5 knots. (.4) the balloon made a hard landing and came to rest on the ground. The pilot climbed out of the basket to vent the balloon and was soon followed by the passengers. As the last passenger exited the basket, the balloon began to rise back into the air with the pilot hanging onto the vent line. The pilot ascended into the air and rose as high as the tree line before the balloon began a descent back to the ground. After the pilot touched back down on the ground, the basket of the balloon landed on top of his ankle. The pilot included an operator/owner safety recommendation when he submitted the NTSB form 6120.1/2, pilot/operator aircraft accident report. It stated, "re-emphasize safety briefing just prior to landing to ensure all passengers remain within the basket until balloon has cooled (no lift present)." According to the balloon flying handbook, "some passengers, believing the flight is over as soon as the basket makes contact with the ground, will start to get out. Even a small amount of wind may cause the basket to bounce and slid e after initial touchdown. If a 200-pound passenger decides to exit the basket at this point, the balloon will immediately begin to ascend." "Monitoring of passengers is important because, after the balloon first touches down, passengers may forget everything they have been told." "It is very important that the passenger briefing be given more than once."
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AFTER A HARD LANDING, EVERYONE EVACUATED THE BASKET, INCLUDING THE PILOT WHO ASSUMED THE ENVELOPE HAD SUFFICIENTLY DEFLATED SO AS NOT TO BECOME AIRBORNE AGAIN. THE BALLOON DID BECOME AIRBORNE AND WHEN IT CAME DOWN THE BASKET LANDED ON MR. ANDERSON'S LEG AND AS A RESULT HIS ANKLE WAS FRACTURED.(.19) ON OCTOBER 20, 2001, ABOUT 1730 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED WHEN A CAMERON BALLOONS A-105, N991FA, MADE AN INADVERTENT ASCENSION NEAR MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA. THE BALLOON WAS NOT DAMAGED, AND THE FOUR PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 AERIAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE BALLOON MADE A HARD LANDING AND CAME TO REST ON THE GROUND. THE PILOT CLIMBED OUT OF THE BASKET TO VENT THE BAG AND WAS SOON FOLLOWED BY THE REMAINING PASSENGERS. AS THE LAST PASSENGER EXITED THE BASKET, THE BALLOON BEGAN TO RISE BACK INTO THE AIR WITH THE PILOT HANGING ONTO THE VENT LINE. THE PILOT ASCENDED AS HIGH AS THE TREE LINE BEFORE DESCENDING BACK TO THE GROUND. AFTER HE TOUCHED BACK DOWN ON THE GROUND, THE BASKET OF THE BALLOON LANDED ON TOP OF HIS ANKLE. THE RECORDED WEATHER AT A NEARBY AIRPORT, ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, INCLUDED WINDS FROM 200 DEGREES AT 5 KNOTS. (.4) THE BALLOON MADE A HARD LANDING AND CAME TO REST ON THE GROUND. THE PILOT CLIMBED OUT OF THE BASKET TO VENT THE BALLOON AND WAS SOON FOLLOWED BY THE PASSENGERS. AS THE LAST PASSENGER EXITED THE BASKET, THE BALLOON BEGAN TO RISE BACK INTO THE AIR WITH THE PILOT HANGING ONTO THE VENT LINE. THE PILOT ASCENDED INTO THE AIR AND ROSE AS HIGH AS THE TREE LINE BEFORE THE BALLOON BEGAN A DESCENT BACK TO THE GROUND. AFTER THE PILOT TOUCHED BACK DOWN ON THE GROUND, THE BASKET OF THE BALLOON LANDED ON TOP OF HIS ANKLE. THE PILOT INCLUDED AN OPERATOR/OWNER SAFETY RECOMMENDATION WHEN HE SUBMITTED THE NTSB FORM 6120.1/2, PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT. IT STATED, "RE-EMPHASIZE SAFETY BRIEFING JUST PRIOR TO LANDING TO ENSURE ALL PASSENGERS REMAIN WITHIN THE BASKET UNTIL BALLOON HAS COOLED (NO LIFT PRESENT)." ACCORDING TO THE BALLOON FLYING HANDBOOK, "SOME PASSENGERS, BELIEVING THE FLIGHT IS OVER AS SOON AS THE BASKET MAKES CONTACT WITH THE GROUND, WILL START TO GET OUT. EVEN A SMALL AMOUNT OF WIND MAY CAUSE THE BASKET TO BOUNCE AND SLID E AFTER INITIAL TOUCHDOWN. IF A 200-POUND PASSENGER DECIDES TO EXIT THE BASKET AT THIS POINT, THE BALLOON WILL IMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO ASCEND." "MONITORING OF PASSENGERS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE, AFTER THE BALLOON FIRST TOUCHES DOWN, PASSENGERS MAY FORGET EVERYTHING THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD." "IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE PASSENGER BRIEFING BE GIVEN MORE THAN ONCE."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.