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Balloon pilot ejected on landing. Passenger deflated balloon as it ascended and was injured in hard landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 148422 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199006 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : 00v |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 150 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : dal |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 33 flight time type : 33 |
| ASRS Report | 142842 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Inflation and takeoff were normal. 2 intermediate landing were made with no problem; however, final landing was high wind (estimated 10-12 KTS) and pilot was ejected upon landing. Passenger activated deflation line while balloon was rising because of loss of pilot weight. Balloon started down because of loss of hot air through deflation port. Passenger if former fixed wig pilot with approximately 15000 hours flight time and estimated fall of about 100-150'. Residual buoyancy slowed balloon down some, but result was a very hard landing. Passenger facial scrapes and bruising, twisted knee, sore back and possible shock. He refused medical treatment except for light first aid. Damage to balloon consisted of burned panel in throat of balloon caused by passenger's attempt to slow descent by heating air. Am having balloon inspected by repair station as precautionary measure, but there appears to be no other damage. Situation was very dangerous and reflects pilot error as cause. Because this is the second instance of pilot ejection I am considering 1 of 2 courses of action--either flying only under instruction with commercial pilots or not flying at all under privileges of certificate.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: BALLOON PLT EJECTED ON LNDG. PASSENGER DEFLATED BALLOON AS IT ASCENDED AND WAS INJURED IN HARD LNDG.
Narrative: INFLATION AND TKOF WERE NORMAL. 2 INTERMEDIATE LNDG WERE MADE WITH NO PROB; HOWEVER, FINAL LNDG WAS HIGH WIND (ESTIMATED 10-12 KTS) AND PLT WAS EJECTED UPON LNDG. PAX ACTIVATED DEFLATION LINE WHILE BALLOON WAS RISING BECAUSE OF LOSS OF PLT WT. BALLOON STARTED DOWN BECAUSE OF LOSS OF HOT AIR THROUGH DEFLATION PORT. PAX IF FORMER FIXED WIG PLT WITH APPROX 15000 HRS FLT TIME AND ESTIMATED FALL OF ABOUT 100-150'. RESIDUAL BUOYANCY SLOWED BALLOON DOWN SOME, BUT RESULT WAS A VERY HARD LNDG. PAX FACIAL SCRAPES AND BRUISING, TWISTED KNEE, SORE BACK AND POSSIBLE SHOCK. HE REFUSED MEDICAL TREATMENT EXCEPT FOR LIGHT FIRST AID. DAMAGE TO BALLOON CONSISTED OF BURNED PANEL IN THROAT OF BALLOON CAUSED BY PAX'S ATTEMPT TO SLOW DSNT BY HEATING AIR. AM HAVING BALLOON INSPECTED BY REPAIR STATION AS PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE, BUT THERE APPEARS TO BE NO OTHER DAMAGE. SITUATION WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND REFLECTS PLT ERROR AS CAUSE. BECAUSE THIS IS THE SECOND INSTANCE OF PLT EJECTION I AM CONSIDERING 1 OF 2 COURSES OF ACTION--EITHER FLYING ONLY UNDER INSTRUCTION WITH COMMERCIAL PLTS OR NOT FLYING AT ALL UNDER PRIVILEGES OF CERTIFICATE.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.