What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A sight seeing hot air balloon flight with 14 passengers and 1 pilot aboard was making a controlled descent and landing near Nut Tree Airport, Vacaville, CA. Prior to descent the pilot contacted awas at Nut Tree Airport to get latest weather observation. Winds were reported south at 4 knots. Pilot descended to approximately 10 ft. AGL, and found that local winds at the landing area were south at 10 knots. The balloon landed on a paved street in an abandoned housing development and the basket slid on the ground approximately 40 feet, then made contact with a curb. The basket stopped abruptly and tipped over on the downwind side with the balloon fully deflated. One passenger complained of pain in the right lower leg, and could not put any weight on it. Passenger was transported to the hospital where he was found to have sustained fractures of the lower right tibia and fibula that required surgical repair.
As the FAA filed it
A SIGHT SEEING HOT AIR BALLOON FLIGHT WITH 14 PASSENGERS AND 1 PILOT ABOARD WAS MAKING A CONTROLLED DESCENT AND LANDING NEAR NUT TREE AIRPORT, VACAVILLE, CA. PRIOR TO DESCENT THE PILOT CONTACTED AWAS AT NUT TREE AIRPORT TO GET LATEST WEATHER OBSERVATION. WINDS WERE REPORTED SOUTH AT 4 KNOTS. PILOT DESCENDED TO APPROXIMATELY 10 FT. AGL, AND FOUND THAT LOCAL WINDS AT THE LANDING AREA WERE SOUTH AT 10 KNOTS. THE BALLOON LANDED ON A PAVED STREET IN AN ABANDONED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND THE BASKET SLID ON THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET, THEN MADE CONTACT WITH A CURB. THE BASKET STOPPED ABRUPTLY AND TIPPED OVER ON THE DOWNWIND SIDE WITH THE BALLOON FULLY DEFLATED. ONE PASSENGER COMPLAINED OF PAIN IN THE RIGHT LOWER LEG, AND COULD NOT PUT ANY WEIGHT ON IT. PASSENGER WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS FOUND TO HAVE SUSTAINED FRACTURES OF THE LOWER RIGHT TIBIA AND FIBULA THAT REQUIRED SURGICAL REPAIR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.