What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot noted early in the flight the winds had increased significantly. He descended to assess how close to the ground the increased wind were so he could start to plan for landing. As the balloon came close to tree level he experienced increased wind speeds. He decided due to the increased winds that he would land as soon as possible. In order to pilot the balloon to the fields he would need to climb to a higher altitude to easterly wind that would take him over the fields. The winds increased the balloons speed to one that would not allow the pilot to safely land in the fields. He was forced to continue his flight to the northeast. Given fuel management concerns, the pilot had to land as soon as possible. The pilot allowed the balloon basket to drag through the top of the trees downwind of the site in an effort to slow his horizontal speed. Once clear of the trees and over the landing site he vented the balloon to facilitate a fast descent into the field. He informed the passengers that he would have a very hard landing and to get ready for impact. The high winds caused the balloon to land a unsafe air speed. The passengers that were injured were not in the correct ditching position for a hard landing.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT NOTED EARLY IN THE FLIGHT THE WINDS HAD INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. HE DESCENDED TO ASSESS HOW CLOSE TO THE GROUND THE INCREASED WIND WERE SO HE COULD START TO PLAN FOR LANDING. AS THE BALLOON CAME CLOSE TO TREE LEVEL HE EXPERIENCED INCREASED WIND SPEEDS. HE DECIDED DUE TO THE INCREASED WINDS THAT HE WOULD LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IN ORDER TO PILOT THE BALLOON TO THE FIELDS HE WOULD NEED TO CLIMB TO A HIGHER ALTITUDE TO EASTERLY WIND THAT WOULD TAKE HIM OVER THE FIELDS. THE WINDS INCREASED THE BALLOONS SPEED TO ONE THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW THE PILOT TO SAFELY LAND IN THE FIELDS. HE WAS FORCED TO CONTINUE HIS FLIGHT TO THE NORTHEAST. GIVEN FUEL MANAGEMENT CONCERNS, THE PILOT HAD TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE PILOT ALLOWED THE BALLOON BASKET TO DRAG THROUGH THE TOP OF THE TREES DOWNWIND OF THE SITE IN AN EFFORT TO SLOW HIS HORIZONTAL SPEED. ONCE CLEAR OF THE TREES AND OVER THE LANDING SITE HE VENTED THE BALLOON TO FACILITATE A FAST DESCENT INTO THE FIELD. HE INFORMED THE PASSENGERS THAT HE WOULD HAVE A VERY HARD LANDING AND TO GET READY FOR IMPACT. THE HIGH WINDS CAUSED THE BALLOON TO LAND A UNSAFE AIR SPEED. THE PASSENGERS THAT WERE INJURED WERE NOT IN THE CORRECT DITCHING POSITION FOR A HARD LANDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.