What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 12, 2010, at approximately 0745 local time a hot air balloon registered to windswept aeronauts, inc. of Fort Wayne Indiana launched from riverside park just north of Fort Wayne, IN., on a sight seeing tour with the pilot and two persons on board. The weather was clear with light winds 7 to 8 mph. The balloon traveled approximately 7 miles in a southeasterly direction when the pilot privacy data omitted, commercial pilot certificate # privacy data omitted, attempted to set the balloon down near the intersection of antwerp and killian roads. The pilot was in communication with the ground crew while he was stepping down his descent to land. The balloon was about eight feet above the ground traveling across a bean field. The pilot said that there was a drainage ditch just on the other side of the bean field and that the ground crew did not communicate the depth or size of the ditch. The ground crew was standing by to receive the balloon and tried to prevent the balloon from landing in the ditch. Despite the effort of the ground crew the balloon entered the ten foot deep ditch. The pilot and passenger claimed that the basket did not tip over or land on its side. The injury occured when one of the passengers lost their balance and fell against the other passenger breaking their leg. The passenger privacy data omitted was transported to the hospital.a ground crew member, privacy data omitted received a bruised leg but was not hospitalized for his injury.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2010, AT APPROXIMATELY 0745 LOCAL TIME A HOT AIR BALLOON REGISTERED TO WINDSWEPT AERONAUTS, INC. OF FORT WAYNE INDIANA LAUNCHED FROM RIVERSIDE PARK JUST NORTH OF FORT WAYNE, IN., ON A SIGHT SEEING TOUR WITH THE PILOT AND TWO PERSONS ON BOARD. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR WITH LIGHT WINDS 7 TO 8 MPH. THE BALLOON TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES IN A SOUTHEASTERLY DIRECTION WHEN THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE # ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, ATTEMPTED TO SET THE BALLOON DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF ANTWERP AND KILLIAN ROADS.THE PILOT WAS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE GROUND CREW WHILE HE WAS STEPPING DOWN HIS DESCENT TO LAND. THE BALLOON WAS ABOUT EIGHT FEET ABOVE THE GROUND TRAVELING ACROSS A BEAN FIELD. THE PILOT SAID THAT THERE WAS A DRAINAGE DITCH JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BEAN FIELD AND THAT THE GROUND CREW DID NOT COMMUNICATE THE DEPTH OR SIZE OF THE DITCH. THE GROUND CREW WAS STANDING BY TO RECEIVE THE BALLOON AND TRIED TO PREVENT THE BALLOON FROM LANDING IN THE DITCH. DESPITE THE EFFORT OF THE GROUND CREW THE BALLOON ENTERED THE TEN FOOT DEEP DITCH. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER CLAIMED THAT THE BASKET DID NOT TIP OVER OR LAND ON ITS SIDE. THE INJURY OCCURED WHEN ONE OF THE PASSENGERS LOST THEIR BALANCE AND FELL AGAINST THE OTHER PASSENGER BREAKING THEIR LEG. THE PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL.A GROUND CREW MEMBER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RECEIVED A BRUISED LEG BUT WAS NOT HOSPITALIZED FOR HIS 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.