What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Passenger was instructed to step out of the balloon basket and keep her weight on the basket for ballast. The balloon shifted due to her weight change and she let go of the basket. Another crew person also let go of the basket because the balloon began to become airborn due to the reduction in weight. The crew chief was also holding onto the basket as the balloon lifted off the ground. The crew chief then grabbed the lower rope handles near the base of the balloon basket. The crew chief was lifted into the air about twenty feet and then fell to the ground sustaining serious injury.
As the FAA filed it
PASSENGER WAS INSTRUCTED TO STEP OUT OF THE BALLOON BASKET AND KEEP HER WEIGHT ON THE BASKET FOR BALLAST. THE BALLOON SHIFTED DUE TO HER WEIGHT CHANGE AND SHE LET GO OF THE BASKET. ANOTHER CREW PERSON ALSO LET GO OF THE BASKET BECAUSE THE BALLOON BEGAN TO BECOME AIRBORN DUE TO THE REDUCTION IN WEIGHT. THE CREW CHIEF WAS ALSO HOLDING ONTO THE BASKET AS THE BALLOON LIFTED OFF THE GROUND. THE CREW CHIEF THEN GRABBED THE LOWER ROPE HANDLES NEAR THE BASE OF THE BALLOON BASKET. THE CREW CHIEF WAS LIFTED INTO THE AIR ABOUT TWENTY FEET AND THEN FELL TO THE GROUND SUSTAINING SERIOUS 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.