What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 7/2/2015 at 0605L, N210GB (hot air balloon) tookoff from a local balloon launch area in Colorado springs, CO with 8 total personnel onboard (including pilot) with an expected destination of a normal landing area just southeast of the Colorado springs airport (kcos). At the time of launch, pilot obtained area surface winds were 070 at 07KTS according to kcos AWOS and NWS pueblo. These winds were also consistent with historical forecast metar/tafs during the time of launch. Before launch, pilot followed his normal wind analysis procedures (release of pibal balloons in the takeoff area) and winds were in the normal range. Shortly after launch, the pilot noticed en route winds significantly higher than forecasted and was also unable to navigate the balloon to the normal landing area. At this time, the pilot began air to ground communication with other area balloonists (on the ground) and the chase vehicle crew to coordinate a new landing plan. Due to the high winds (well in excess of normal balloon landing winds) the pilot chose a large open area suitable for a high wind landing. This area was located in the fort Carson area near range 111. According to the pilot, during the initial approach, while at approximately 100FT AGL, the balloon experienced a wind sheer (43 mph dropping to 26 mph) and as a result, the balloon descended to the ground while the pilot was commanding a "full burner" climb. The impact was abnormally hard and one passenger was ejected from the balloon upon impact, while others were injured, but remained in the basket. The balloon then became airborne again due to the immediate loss of weight (ejected 175 lb pax) and the full burner climb which had been commanded to arrest the decent. The pilot then narrowly cleared a power line before making a final landing at approximately 0706L to a large impact area, also on the range. After landing, the basket was drug approximately 100-150 yards due to the high wind conditions. The impact area contained numerous unexploded ordinance, which created a hazard for N210GB pax, range personnel, and rescue personnel onscene. Range control and eod personnel secured the site for helicopter extract. Injured personnel were transported directly to a local hospital by helicopter for further treatment.
As the FAA filed it
ON 7/2/2015 AT 0605L, N210GB (HOT AIR BALLOON) TOOKOFF FROM A LOCAL BALLOON LAUNCH AREA IN COLORADO SPRINGS, CO WITH 8 TOTAL PERSONNEL ONBOARD (INCLUDING PILOT) WITH AN EXPECTED DESTINATION OF A NORMAL LANDING AREA JUST SOUTHEAST OF THE COLORADO SPRINGS AIRPORT (KCOS). AT THE TIME OF LAUNCH, PILOT OBTAINED AREA SURFACE WINDS WERE 070 AT 07KTS ACCORDING TO KCOS AWOS AND NWS PUEBLO. THESE WINDS WERE ALSO CONSISTENT WITH HISTORICAL FORECAST METAR/TAFS DURING THE TIME OF LAUNCH. BEFORE LAUNCH, PILOT FOLLOWED HIS NORMAL WIND ANALYSIS PROCEDURES (RELEASE OF PIBAL BALLOONS IN THE TAKEOFF AREA) AND WINDS WERE IN THE NORMAL RANGE. SHORTLY AFTER LAUNCH, THE PILOT NOTICED EN ROUTE WINDS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN FORECASTED AND WAS ALSO UNABLE TO NAVIGATE THE BALLOON TO THE NORMAL LANDING AREA. AT THIS TIME, THE PILOT BEGAN AIR TO GROUND COMMUNICATION WITH OTHER AREA BALLOONISTS (ON THE GROUND) AND THE CHASE VEHICLE CREW TO COORDINATE A NEW LANDING PLAN. DUE TO THE HIGH WINDS (WELL IN EXCESS OF NORMAL BALLOON LANDING WINDS) THE PILOT CHOSE A LARGE OPEN AREA SUITABLE FOR A HIGH WIND LANDING. THIS AREA WAS LOCATED IN THE FORT CARSON AREA NEAR RANGE 111. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING THE INITIAL APPROACH, WHILE AT APPROXIMATELY 100FT AGL, THE BALLOON EXPERIENCED A WIND SHEER (43 MPH DROPPING TO 26 MPH) AND AS A RESULT, THE BALLOON DESCENDED TO THE GROUND WHILE THE PILOT WAS COMMANDING A "FULL BURNER" CLIMB. THE IMPACT WAS ABNORMALLY HARD AND ONE PASSENGER WAS EJECTED FROM THE BALLOON UPON IMPACT, WHILE OTHERS WERE INJURED, BUT REMAINED IN THE BASKET. THE BALLOON THEN BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN DUE TO THE IMMEDIATE LOSS OF WEIGHT (EJECTED 175 LB PAX) AND THE FULL BURNER CLIMB WHICH HAD BEEN COMMANDED TO ARREST THE DECENT. THE PILOT THEN NARROWLY CLEARED A POWER LINE BEFORE MAKING A FINAL LANDING AT APPROXIMATELY 0706L TO A LARGE IMPACT AREA, ALSO ON THE RANGE. AFTER LANDING, THE BASKET WAS DRUG APPROXIMATELY 100-150 YARDS DUE TO THE HIGH WIND CONDITIONS. THE IMPACT AREA CONTAINED NUMEROUS UNEXPLODED ORDINANCE, WHICH CREATED A HAZARD FOR N210GB PAX, RANGE PERSONNEL, AND RESCUE PERSONNEL ONSCENE. RANGE CONTROL AND EOD PERSONNEL SECURED THE SITE FOR HELICOPTER EXTRACT. INJURED PERSONNEL WERE TRANSPORTED DIRECTLY TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL BY HELICOPTER FOR FURTHER TREATMENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.