20231009011039A

This german registered balloon and polish certificated crew of 2 departed albuquerque, NM (35 deg 11.74 n, 106 deg 35.85 w) at approximately 2030 MDT on October 7, 2023, with aproximately 600 kilograms (1250 lbs) of jettisonal ballast aboard, as a part of an organized cross country long distance balloon race with 16 other contestants. As evening drew near on October 9, 2023, the balloon and crew contacted electrical high voltage power lines and experienced a hard landing near Crandall, TX (32 deg 38.83 n, 96 deg 28.03 w) at 1921 CDT after approximately 46 flight hours. (Official sunset time was 1902 CDT). The onboard iridium satelite tracking data indicates ground speed of approximately 22 mph on a n/ne heading. The onboard iridium satelite tracking data indicated that at 1744 CDT (32° 32.59 n, 096° 43.89 w, approximately 11,000FT MSL) the crew of this hydrogen gas filled free balloon had initiated a long, curving, normal steady decent. When the pilots realized that they could not jettison ballast fast enough to rise and clear the major high-tension powerlines and electrical power substation that had come into view directly ahead in the dimming light, the PIC stated that he elected to fully open the parachute valve to rapidly dump hydrogen and thus drop the basket to the ground as rapidly as possible to avoid a collision with the powerlines and other electrical substation charged elements located on the other side of the wires. He stated no anchor was deployed, due to the crew’s concerns of the power lines in the area. The last part of the resulting rapid decent caused the balloon basket to impact the ground hard, without any evidence of forward motion scars in the ground. The basket remained upright directly under intersection of the front edge of the 138 kv upper power lines that were perpendicular to the flight path, and under the right edge of the 14 kv lower power lines that nearly paralleled the flight path, and paralleled the edge of the busy state highway, with the balloon envelope in full contact with both power transmission lines. There was an immediate massive explosion of the hydrogen gas due to ignition by the arching of the multiple powerlines. No powerlines fell to the ground, but burning, melted remnants of the envelope dripped from the overhead wires onto the basket, occupants and surrounding ground. Bystanders that stopped along the highway extracted the severely injured copilot from the buring basket, shortly before one of the crew's 2 pressurized oxygen cylinders exploded, instantly destroying most of the basket and scattering burning debris. The basket and envelope remains, and surrounding green grass area was consumed by the post crash fire. The PIC sustained serious burns, broken ribs and brusing injuries. He was transported by ground ambulance to a major trauma center. The PIC stated that the other crew member had ducked down to the bottom of the basket prior to imminent impact, and medics confirmed he sustained major burns, multiple compound fractures to legs, broken pelvis, and broken back, and was airlifted to a major trauma center. The PIC reported there were no technical or mechanical anomalies with the balloon during the entire flight, and that they had an estimated 200 kilograms (440 lbs) of jettisonable ballast remaining near the end of the flight.