What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The subject hot air balloon was originally investigated as a landing incident and upgraded to an accident on 5/9/2007 when passenger privacy data omitted was diagnosed with two cracked ribs and a cracked pelvis. The pilot reported higher than expected ground speed from his GPS in flight. Visual weather conditions did not reveal the passage of a dry front that caused a resulting shift in wind direction and speed. The wind shifted during landing resulting in the balloon envelope contacting an oak tree and tipping the basket on end, which then impacted the ground. The 12 passengers fell on each other injuring 4 passengers, one seriously.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE SUBJECT HOT AIR BALLOON WAS ORIGINALLY INVESTIGATED AS A LANDING INCIDENT AND UPGRADED TO AN ACCIDENT ON 5/9/2007 WHEN PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS DIAGNOSED WITH TWO CRACKED RIBS AND A CRACKED PELVIS. THE PILOT REPORTED HIGHER THAN EXPECTED GROUND SPEED FROM HIS GPS IN FLIGHT. VISUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS DID NOT REVEAL THE PASSAGE OF A DRY FRONT THAT CAUSED A RESULTING SHIFT IN WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED. THE WIND SHIFTED DURING LANDING RESULTING IN THE BALLOON ENVELOPE CONTACTING AN OAK TREE AND TIPPING THE BASKET ON END, WHICH THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE 12 PASSENGERS FELL ON EACH OTHER INJURING 4 PASSENGERS, ONE SERIOUSLY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.