What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) As the pilot was attempting to land near a small group of people, a sudden gust of wind came up and began blowing the balloon toward power lines. To avoid the power lines he opened the burner to maximum until he was above the wires. Once above them he dumped air out of the balloon to descend for another attempt at a landing. The balloon settled rapidly causing the gondola to bounce upon striking the ground. The pilot privacy data omitted was thrown out of the gondola upon impact, he held onto the vent line as the balloon floated up and into a tree. The pilot privacy data omitted fell about 20 feet from the end of the rope to the ground, crushing a disc in his back and fracturing his pelvis. As the balloon deflated from a rip in the envelope, the gondola lowered the two passengers to the ground without injury.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AS THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND NEAR A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE, A SUDDEN GUST OF WIND CAME UP AND BEGAN BLOWING THE BALLOON TOWARD POWER LINES. TO AVOID THE POWER LINES HE OPENED THE BURNER TO MAXIMUM UNTIL HE WAS ABOVE THE WIRES. ONCE ABOVE THEM HE DUMPED AIR OUT OF THE BALLOON TO DESCEND FOR ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT A LANDING. THE BALLOON SETTLED RAPIDLY CAUSING THE GONDOLA TO BOUNCE UPON STRIKING THE GROUND. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DA^ WAS THROWN OUT OF THE GONDOLA UPON IMPACT, HE HELD ONTO THE VENT LINE AS THE BALLOON FLOATED UP AND INTO A TREE. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DA^ FELL ABOUT 20 FEET FROM THE END OF THE ROPE TO THE GROUND, CRUSHING A DISC IN HIS BACK AND FRACTURING HIS PELVIS. AS THE BALLOON DEFLATED FROM A RIP IN THE ENVELOPE, THE GONDOLA LOWERED THE TWO PASSENGERS TO THE GROUND WITHOUT INJURY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.