What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 7-23-2003 @ approximately 0630 N11BQ departed balloon quest launch area (2470 grange hall road, fenton, MI 48430). The total gross weight was 3741.4 lbs. With 11 people plus the pilot onboard max certificated gross is 3800 lbs. This was a commercial flight, piloted by Mr. Eric horton with an Aerostar (lighther than air) aircraft, model S-81A, serial number 3010 for purposes of sight seeing and experiencing hot air ballooning. The kptk weather the closest weather station to this accident indicates that it was within flight manual parameters 10 knots or lower for a normal takeoff and flight @ 0953Z winds 350 at 7 knots. The pilot stated that he was flying at 2500 feet AGL, then about 30 minutes into flight the winds were getting brisk and he decided to go to 500 feet AGL where the winds were better. He decided to look for a bigger landing spot since surface winds were not what the weather had forecasted. As he approached his intended landing field (the intersection of saddle ridge and middle road in highland, Michigan 48357) and cleared a tree, he saw the trees move abruptly with a gust of wind (this was confirmed by some of the passengers statements to this office). The pilot felt with this gust of wind that he needed to land immediately at the north end of the field. This was due to the size of this balloon and the fact that power lines and a house were at the south end of this field. This field chosen by the pilot to land, appeared to be adequate to land this aircraft (balloon). The pilot landed immediately and abruptly hitting the ground hard, this action as well as the balloon sliding 57 yards. A few passengers' arms left the basket, this caused one passenger to be ejected and run over by the basket at least one other passenger to receive brush burns on their knuckles. Of the 11 passengers plus the pilot, 7 people went to the hospital immediately, all were released the same day except one passenger (run over by the basket) who had six broken ribs and two collapsed lungs. The only other reportable injury was a fractured right fibula, with three of the remaining passengers going to urgent care facilities the evening of the accident and two with no injuries. The maintenance records (aircraft log book) and condition of the balloon revealed no irregularities and the last annual was accomplished 4-09-2003 with total time of 173.3. The tell tale indicator showed no signs of overheating, showing only minor color change at 225 degrees fahrenheit.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 7-23-2003 @ APPROXIMATELY 0630 N11BQ DEPARTED BALLOON QUEST LAUNCH AREA (2470 GRANGE HALL ROAD, FENTON, MI 48430). THE TOTAL GROSS WEIGHT WAS 3741.4 LBS. WITH 11 PEOPLE PLUS THE PILOT ONBOARD MAX CERTIFICATED GROSS IS 3800 LBS. THIS WAS A COMMERCIAL FLIGHT, PILOTED BY MR. ERIC HORTON WITH AN AEROSTAR (LIGHTHER THAN AIR) AIRCRAFT, MODEL S-81A, SERIAL NUMBER 3010 FOR PURPOSES OF SIGHT SEEING AND EXPERIENCING HOT AIR BALLOONING. THE KPTK WEATHER THE CLOSEST WEATHER STATION TO THIS ACCIDENT INDICATES THAT IT WAS WITHIN FLIGHT MANUAL PARAMETERS 10 KNOTS OR LOWER FOR A NORMAL TAKEOFF AND FLIGHT @ 0953Z WINDS 350 AT 7 KNOTS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS FLYING AT 2500 FEET AGL, THEN ABOUT 30 MINUTES INTO FLIGHT THE WINDS WERE GETTING BRISK AND HE DECIDED TO GO TO 500 FEET AGL WHERE THE WINDS WERE BETTER. HE DECIDED TO LOOK FOR A BIGGER LANDING SPOT SINCE SURFACE WINDS WERE NOT WHAT THE WEATHER HAD FORECASTED. AS HE APPROACHED HIS INTENDED LANDING FIELD (THE INTERSECTION OF SADDLE RIDGE AND MIDDLE ROAD IN HIGHLAND, MICHIGAN 48357) AND CLEARED A TREE, HE SAW THE TREES MOVE ABRUPTLY WITH A GUST OF WIND (THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY SOME OF THE PASSENGERS STATEMENTS TO THIS OFFICE). THE PILOT FELT WITH THIS GUST OF WIND THAT HE NEEDED TO LAND IMMEDIATELY AT THE NORTH END OF THE FIELD. THIS WAS DUE TO THE SIZE OF THIS BALLOON AND THE FACT THAT POWER LINES AND A HOUSE WERE AT THE SOUTH END OF THIS FIELD. THIS FIELD CHOSEN BY THE PILOT TO LAND, APPEARED TO BE ADEQUATE TO LAND THIS AIRCRAFT (BALLOON). THE PILOT LANDED IMMEDIATELY AND ABRUPTLY HITTING THE GROUND HARD, THIS ACTION AS WELL AS THE BALLOON SLIDING 57 YARDS. A FEW PASSENGERS' ARMS LEFT THE BASKET, THIS CAUSED ONE PASSENGER TO BE EJECTED AND RUN OVER BY THE BASKET AT LEAST ONE OTHER PASSENGER TO RECEIVE BRUSH BURNS ON THEIR KNUCKLES. OF THE 11 PASSENGERS PLUS THE PILOT, 7 PEOPLE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY, ALL WERE RELEASED THE SAME DAY EXCEPT ONE PASSENGER (RUN OVER BY THE BASKET) WHO HAD SIX BROKEN RIBS AND TWO COLLAPSED LUNGS. THE ONLY OTHER REPORTABLE INJURY WAS A FRACTURED RIGHT FIBULA, WITH THREE OF THE REMAINING PASSENGERS GOING TO URGENT CARE FACILITIES THE EVENING OF THE ACCIDENT AND TWO WITH NO INJURIES. THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS (AIRCRAFT LOG BOOK) AND CONDITION OF THE BALLOON REVEALED NO IRREGULARITIES AND THE LAST ANNUAL WAS ACCOMPLISHED 4-09-2003 WITH TOTAL TIME OF 173.3. THE TELL TALE INDICATOR SHOWED NO SIGNS OF OVERHEATING, SHOWING ONLY MINOR COLOR CHANGE AT 225 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.