What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
FAA form 8020-9:
Hot air Balloon crash, unknown circumstances.
Pilot statement:
I took off at 8:45AM with one crew passenger from a small field approximately 1 mile west of the event field in Anderson, SC. We flew easterly as weather reported and flew over the event field. We threw out our rubber duck marker to the field and continued easterly in direction. It had been reported that there were good landing opportunities in that direction. I made several attempts to land approximately 20 minutes into the flight but the winds were quite variable and vary slow. There were mostly tight neighborhoods with many power lines. After a missed approach to a culde sac due to parked cars that would be very close and no large areas in sight I made an approch to a road intersection and descended after clearing the wires along the road. On descent the Balloon drifted into and caught up in a branch of some tall trees. We stopped descending approximately 5 to 8 feet before touching down next to the road. I briefed the passenger to keep her knees bent in case we came down more. Just after briefing her, the tree limb gave way and the basket landed upright with no damage. I asked if she was good assuming she was, but she said her ankle hurt. She was taken by EMS to check her ankle and reported that it was a sprain. A bucket truck arrived and removed the Balloon fabric from where it was still snagged on a tree branch. One tear in a side panel was noted on the side of the Balloon. Pictures are enclosed.
As the FAA filed it
FAA FORM 8020-9:
HOT AIR BALLOON CRASH, UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES.
PILOT STATEMENT:
I TOOK OFF AT 8:45AM WITH ONE CREW PASSENGER FROM A SMALL FIELD APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE WEST OF THE EVENT FIELD IN ANDERSON, SC. WE FLEW EASTERLY AS WEATHER REPORTED AND FLEW OVER THE EVENT FIELD. WE THREW OUT OUR RUBBER DUCK MARKER TO THE FIELD AND CONTINUED EASTERLY IN DIRECTION. IT HAD BEEN REPORTED THAT THERE WERE GOOD LANDING OPPORTUNITIES IN THAT DIRECTION. I MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO LAND APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT BUT THE WINDS WERE QUITE VARIABLE AND VARY SLOW. THERE WERE MOSTLY TIGHT NEIGHBORHOODS WITH MANY POWER LINES. AFTER A MISSED APPROACH TO A CULDE SAC DUE TO PARKED CARS THAT WOULD BE VERY CLOSE AND NO LARGE AREAS IN SIGHT I MADE AN APPROCH TO A ROAD INTERSECTION AND DESCENDED AFTER CLEARING THE WIRES ALONG THE ROAD. ON DESCENT THE BALLOON DRIFTED INTO AND CAUGHT UP IN A BRANCH OF SOME TALL TREES. WE STOPPED DESCENDING APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 8 FEET BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN NEXT TO THE ROAD. I BRIEFED THE PASSENGER TO KEEP HER KNEES BENT IN CASE WE CAME DOWN MORE. JUST AFTER BRIEFING HER, THE TREE LIMB GAVE WAY AND THE BASKET LANDED UPRIGHT WITH NO DAMAGE. I ASKED IF SHE WAS GOOD ASSUMING SHE WAS, BUT SHE SAID HER ANKLE HURT. SHE WAS TAKEN BY EMS TO CHECK HER ANKLE AND REPORTED THAT IT WAS A SPRAIN. A BUCKET TRUCK ARRIVED AND REMOVED THE BALLOON FABRIC FROM WHERE IT WAS STILL SNAGGED ON A TREE BRANCH. ONE TEAR IN A SIDE PANEL WAS NOTED ON THE SIDE OF THE BALLOON. PICTURES ARE ENCLOSED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.