What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was building flying time to meet the requirements for a commercial pilot certificate.
Pilot was the sole occupant of the Balloon.
Preflight:
Night before did some planning based on the forecast winds
Morning wx brief obtained from 1800WXBRIEF
Winds forecast to be 10-15 knots at end of flight
O forecast winds typically fast for a “weight on landing”
O pilot was comfortable with the forecast
PIC selected a landing site that looked “kinda tight” but felt it was suitable.
Launch and flight
PIC felt a light “puff” of wind often present at sunup.
Launch and flight to the north was uneventful.
After launch, the support crew proceeded to the planned landing site, determined the site was unsuitable and informed the PIC.
The PIC selected an alternate area north and west of the town of Albany, Texas, between the built-up area of town and an area of wind turbines. He felt a benefit of the topography in the area may keep the wind speed down. The PIC planned his descent to clear of power lines near the town. He also noted the winds were changing and picking up speed.
The clearing he chose seemed suitable but contained a small stand of trees and a deer blind on the south side. He planned a step-down approach for landing and began his descent. As the Balloon neared the surface, the PIC noticed what he felt was wind shear and estimated the wind speed was 20 to 25 knots. The pilot also noted that the variometer was “acting funny.”
The approach to landing took the Balloon over a small hill. Crossing the crest he sensed being “sucked down.” he stated he was unable to “burn out of it,” to climb or at least arrest the descent. The PIC believes the orographic effect of the backside of the hill caused the change in lift. This was when the pilot realized he was committed to the landing and could not avoid the stand of trees.
The trees snagged the Balloon and basket, pulling him over causing damage to the envelope and basket. The PIC used the valve line to open the parachute valve as the Balloon hit the trees. The Balloon came to a stop and the pilot was ejected from the basket.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS BUILDING FLYING TIME TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE.
PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE BALLOON.
PREFLIGHT:
NIGHT BEFORE DID SOME PLANNING BASED ON THE FORECAST WINDS
MORNING WX BRIEF OBTAINED FROM 1800WXBRIEF
WINDS FORECAST TO BE 10-15 KNOTS AT END OF FLIGHT
O FORECAST WINDS TYPICALLY FAST FOR A “WEIGHT ON LANDING”
O PILOT WAS COMFORTABLE WITH THE FORECAST
PIC SELECTED A LANDING SITE THAT LOOKED “KINDA TIGHT” BUT FELT IT WAS SUITABLE.
LAUNCH AND FLIGHT
PIC FELT A LIGHT “PUFF” OF WIND OFTEN PRESENT AT SUNUP.
LAUNCH AND FLIGHT TO THE NORTH WAS UNEVENTFUL.
AFTER LAUNCH, THE SUPPORT CREW PROCEEDED TO THE PLANNED LANDING SITE, DETERMINED THE SITE WAS UNSUITABLE AND INFORMED THE PIC.
THE PIC SELECTED AN ALTERNATE AREA NORTH AND WEST OF THE TOWN OF ALBANY, TEXAS, BETWEEN THE BUILT-UP AREA OF TOWN AND AN AREA OF WIND TURBINES. HE FELT A BENEFIT OF THE TOPOGRAPHY IN THE AREA MAY KEEP THE WIND SPEED DOWN. THE PIC PLANNED HIS DESCENT TO CLEAR OF POWER LINES NEAR THE TOWN. HE ALSO NOTED THE WINDS WERE CHANGING AND PICKING UP SPEED.
THE CLEARING HE CHOSE SEEMED SUITABLE BUT CONTAINED A SMALL STAND OF TREES AND A DEER BLIND ON THE SOUTH SIDE. HE PLANNED A STEP-DOWN APPROACH FOR LANDING AND BEGAN HIS DESCENT. AS THE BALLOON NEARED THE SURFACE, THE PIC NOTICED WHAT HE FELT WAS WIND SHEAR AND ESTIMATED THE WIND SPEED WAS 20 TO 25 KNOTS. THE PILOT ALSO NOTED THAT THE VARIOMETER WAS “ACTING FUNNY.”
THE APPROACH TO LANDING TOOK THE BALLOON OVER A SMALL HILL. CROSSING THE CREST HE SENSED BEING “SUCKED DOWN.” HE STATED HE WAS UNABLE TO “BURN OUT OF IT,” TO CLIMB OR AT LEAST ARREST THE DESCENT. THE PIC BELIEVES THE OROGRAPHIC EFFECT OF THE BACKSIDE OF THE HILL CAUSED THE CHANGE IN LIFT. THIS WAS WHEN THE PILOT REALIZED HE WAS COMMITTED TO THE LANDING AND COULD NOT AVOID THE STAND OF TREES.
THE TREES SNAGGED THE BALLOON AND BASKET, PULLING HIM OVER CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE ENVELOPE AND BASKET. THE PIC USED THE VALVE LINE TO OPEN THE PARACHUTE VALVE AS THE BALLOON HIT THE TREES. THE BALLOON CAME TO A STOP AND THE PILOT WAS EJECTED FROM THE BASKET.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.