What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On initial landing / touch down passenger stood up, contrary to preflight and prelanding instructions. Just then the basket arose again pendulumed forward and touched down again. As basket touched down again, momentum nearly ejected this passenger. Pilot reached and pulled passenger back in as balloon arose and pendulumed again. This along with momentum of pulling passenger in, pilot fell out back side of balloon basket landing on his neck / upperback sustaing a fractured C6 vertabre. One passenger sustained small cut on forhead from unknown source during landing and received 2 stiches at local hospital. Additional passenger pulled out top of balloon, venting it as instructed and balloon came to fullstop / rest.
As the FAA filed it
ON INITIAL LANDING / TOUCH DOWN PASSENGER STOOD UP, CONTRARY TO PREFLIGHT AND PRELANDING INSTRUCTIONS. JUST THEN THE BASKET AROSE AGAIN PENDULUMED FORWARD AND TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN. AS BASKET TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN, MOMENTUM NEARLY EJECTED THIS PASSENGER. PILOT REACHED AND PULLED PASSENGER BACK IN AS BALLOON AROSE AND PENDULUMED AGAIN. THIS ALONG WITH MOMENTUM OF PULLING PASSENGER IN, PILOT FELL OUT BACK SIDE OF BALLOON BASKET LANDING ON HIS NECK / UPPERBACK SUSTAING A FRACTURED C6 VERTABRE. ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED SMALL CUT ON FORHEAD FROM UNKNOWN SOURCE DURING LANDING AND RECEIVED 2 STICHES AT LOCAL HOSPITAL. ADDITIONAL PASSENGER PULLED OUT TOP OF BALLOON, VENTING IT AS INSTRUCTED AND BALLOON CAME TO FULLSTOP / REST.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.