GAA15LA015

The pilot reported that, halfway through the flight, he determined that the wind aloft was higher than anticipated and that the original planned landing destination was no longer suitable. While the balloon was between 3,000 and 4,000 ft mean sea level, he started looking for another landing area and noted that the surface wind had increased and changed direction since the launch; the wind aloft about this time was reported to be 26 knots. The pilot stated that, during the descent to land, the balloon was traveling "about 15 mph." During the subsequent landing in an open field, the gondola impacted the ground hard twice, followed by two small hops, and then came to a stop. One of the passengers sustained two broken ankles during the two hard landings.

On March 14, 2015 about 0820 Mountain standard time, an Ultramagic SA N210 balloon, N210UM, made a hard landing during a visual approach and landing to an open field in Peoria, Arizona. The pilot and nine of the ten passengers were not injured. One passenger sustained serious inquires during the landing sequence. The balloon was registered to Float Balloon Tours, L.L.C. of Tempe, Arizona, and operated by the pilot, as a day, visual flight rules, passenger flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from private property in Phoenix, Arizona. According to the pilot, halfway through the flight, he determined that winds aloft were faster than anticipated, and the original planned landing destination was no longer suitable. While the balloon was between 3,000 and 4,000 feet mean sea level, he started looking for another landing area and noted that the surface wind had increased and changed direction since the launch; the wind aloft about this time was reported to be 26 knots. The pilot stated that, during the descent to land, the balloon was traveling "about 15 mph." During the subsequent landing in an open field, the gondola impacted the ground hard twice, followed by two small hops, and then came to a stop. The landing area was uneven, rocky, and had some vegetation. One of the passengers sustained two broken ankles during the two hard landings. The gondola sustained minor damage to the scruff leather coverings. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon prior to the flight that would have precluded normal operation of the balloon.