What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Flight departed alabaster, Alabama around 7:00AM from a field. Flight continued due south on a heading of 180. Balloon crossed over county road 25 near Montevallo, AL and continued over a wooded area. Pilot stated a field came into view through a break in the trees. He vented to start descent to the field. Wind speed was approx. 10-15MPH. Once the whole field came into full view, he could see there was not much room to land. Heat was applied to arrest the descent and land in the front half of the field. The landing was a hard landing with some dragging of the basket once it landed. Pilot and male passenger were uninjured. Female passenger had pain in both arms, but refused medical treatment. Female passenger sought medical treatment later that afternoon and found out she had fractured both arms. Balloon suffered no damage.
As the FAA filed it
FLIGHT DEPARTED ALABASTER, ALABAMA AROUND 7:00AM FROM A FIELD. FLIGHT CONTINUED DUE SOUTH ON A HEADING OF 180. BALLOON CROSSED OVER COUNTY ROAD 25 NEAR MONTEVALLO, AL AND CONTINUED OVER A WOODED AREA. PILOT STATED A FIELD CAME INTO VIEW THROUGH A BREAK IN THE TREES. HE VENTED TO START DESCENT TO THE FIELD. WIND SPEED WAS APPROX. 10-15MPH. ONCE THE WHOLE FIELD CAME INTO FULL VIEW, HE COULD SEE THERE WAS NOT MUCH ROOM TO LAND. HEAT WAS APPLIED TO ARREST THE DESCENT AND LAND IN THE FRONT HALF OF THE FIELD. THE LANDING WAS A HARD LANDING WITH SOME DRAGGING OF THE BASKET ONCE IT LANDED. PILOT AND MALE PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED. FEMALE PASSENGER HAD PAIN IN BOTH ARMS, BUT REFUSED MEDICAL TREATMENT. FEMALE PASSENGER SOUGHT MEDICAL TREATMENT LATER THAT AFTERNOON AND FOUND OUT SHE HAD FRACTURED BOTH ARMS. BALLOON SUFFERED NO DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.