Narrative:

I called flight service about XA30 am and received a briefing for san francisco, oakland, travis, and sacramento areas and winds aloft at 3000', 6000', and 9000' in the bay and sacramento areas. Conditions were normal in the area where we launched this day. I was flying 'fantasy', one of 4 balloons we launched that day. Winds started building at the end of our trip and as the balloons sat down they were dragging in the field, which is usual upon high wind lndgs. I briefed my passenger to hold onto the up-rights or the support ropes and bend their knees upon landing to absorb any shock. I came in low and leveled off, flying parallel with the field, just above the wheat. I had just turned off the pilot lights on the burners as we started to enter the wheat and took hold of the vent rope and advised my passenger again to hold on. As the balloon touched down into the field we struck a ridge made by an irrigation ditch, which stopped the gondola instantly. While the gondola stopped, the envelope of the balloon continued and pulled me straight up about burner level and by then the gondola lifted off the ground and the vent rope was pulled from my hands as I fell backwards to the ground. I immediately jumped up and yelled, 'pull the yellow rope!' which the passenger that I had been standing next to in the balloon did. The balloon raised about 8' from the ground and continued downwind 40' before touching down again then drug along another 50' on its side. I ran up to the balloon and everyone was getting out of the basket. Two of the passenger sustained minor injuries and I radioed for help. The ground crew called 911 and they were taken to the hospital. They were treated and released with bumps and bruises.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT THROWN FROM HOT AIR BALLOON ON ROUGH LNDG. MINOR PASSENGER INJURIES.

Narrative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

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.