What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot of manned free hot air balloon with two pax was making an approach to a field for landing. He noted livestock in the field and opted to try for the next field. He used the burners to gain altitude and avoid trees along the the field. After clearing the trees the pilot used the vent line to release hot air and descend into a small field. He said that his arm became entangled in the vent line causing excessive venting. The pilot used heat from the burners to decrease the vertical descent but because the throat/skirt had collapsed from excessive venting the balloon basket experienced a hard landing resulting in broken/crushed bones in the right feet of both pax. The balloon bounced back up in the air approx 15 - 20 feet and then impacted the ground again with basket rolling over, and was drug approx 50 feet before coming to rest on its side.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT OF MANNED FREE HOT AIR BALLOON WITH TWO PAX WAS MAKING AN APPROACH TO A FIELD FOR LANDING. HE NOTED LIVESTOCK IN THE FIELD AND OPTED TO TRY FOR THE NEXT FIELD. HE USED THE BURNERS TO GAIN ALTITUDE AND AVOID TREES ALONG THE THE FIELD. AFTER CLEARING THE TREES THE PILOT USED THE VENT LINE TO RELEASE HOT AIR AND DESCEND INTO A SMALL FIELD. HE SAID THAT HIS ARM BECAME ENTANGLED IN THE VENT LINE CAUSING EXCESSIVE VENTING. THE PILOT USED HEAT FROM THE BURNERS TO DECREASE THE VERTICAL DESCENT BUT BECAUSE THE THROAT/SKIRT HAD COLLAPSED FROM EXCESSIVE VENTING THE BALLOON BASKET EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING RESULTING IN BROKEN/CRUSHED BONES IN THE RIGHT FEET OF BOTH PAX. THE BALLOON BOUNCED BACK UP IN THE AIR APPROX 15 - 20 FEET AND THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND AGAIN WITH BASKET ROLLING OVER, AND WAS DRUG APPROX 50 FEET BEFORE COMING TO REST ON ITS SIDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.