Narrative:

Prepared as usual for a hot air balloon flight from chatfield balloon port, southwest of denver, co. Got a WX briefing from the recorded hot air balloon tape, conditions at launch site were light and variable at the surface and the same above as observed by release of a helium balloon to check the wind. I did some good maneuvers and navigation near the launch site, then the wind changed direction and took me east, then south, then north to the landing site just north of highway C-470 south of county line road and 3/4 mi east of university blvd. On the approach to the landing site, a downdraft placed my craft on the median of highway C-470, then dragged over 2 fences coming to a stop 720 ft from touchdown point. Winds were estimated at 30 mph by ground observer. My passenger got a cut on his shoulder from the fence and was treated and went home. NTSB was called and I was told no report was needed, damage to the basket was only a small amount of wicker. More information on WX conditions may be helpful. I am starting a meteorology class to better understand WX conditions. May have misinterpreted WX conditions on the automated WX tape. WX conditions were changing rapidly. Observed some balloons moving fast, yet others were moving normally. Planned to land as soon as possible in area with open terrain as much as possible. Aborted 2 landing sites prior to final landing. Good training in high wind lndgs made it possible for me to assess the conditions and land safely. Keeping my passenger calm and prepared for high wind landing helpful. Hills just ahead of my landing site may have been a contributing factor causing downdrafts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PAX WAS SLIGHTLY INJURED IN A HIGH WIND LNDG IN A HOT AIR BALLOON.

Narrative: PREPARED AS USUAL FOR A HOT AIR BALLOON FLT FROM CHATFIELD BALLOON PORT, SW OF DENVER, CO. GOT A WX BRIEFING FROM THE RECORDED HOT AIR BALLOON TAPE, CONDITIONS AT LAUNCH SITE WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT THE SURFACE AND THE SAME ABOVE AS OBSERVED BY RELEASE OF A HELIUM BALLOON TO CHK THE WIND. I DID SOME GOOD MANEUVERS AND NAV NEAR THE LAUNCH SITE, THEN THE WIND CHANGED DIRECTION AND TOOK ME E, THEN S, THEN N TO THE LNDG SITE JUST N OF HWY C-470 S OF COUNTY LINE ROAD AND 3/4 MI E OF UNIVERSITY BLVD. ON THE APCH TO THE LNDG SITE, A DOWNDRAFT PLACED MY CRAFT ON THE MEDIAN OF HWY C-470, THEN DRAGGED OVER 2 FENCES COMING TO A STOP 720 FT FROM TOUCHDOWN POINT. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 30 MPH BY GND OBSERVER. MY PAX GOT A CUT ON HIS SHOULDER FROM THE FENCE AND WAS TREATED AND WENT HOME. NTSB WAS CALLED AND I WAS TOLD NO RPT WAS NEEDED, DAMAGE TO THE BASKET WAS ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF WICKER. MORE INFO ON WX CONDITIONS MAY BE HELPFUL. I AM STARTING A METEOROLOGY CLASS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WX CONDITIONS. MAY HAVE MISINTERPRETED WX CONDITIONS ON THE AUTOMATED WX TAPE. WX CONDITIONS WERE CHANGING RAPIDLY. OBSERVED SOME BALLOONS MOVING FAST, YET OTHERS WERE MOVING NORMALLY. PLANNED TO LAND ASAP IN AREA WITH OPEN TERRAIN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. ABORTED 2 LNDG SITES PRIOR TO FINAL LNDG. GOOD TRAINING IN HIGH WIND LNDGS MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO ASSESS THE CONDITIONS AND LAND SAFELY. KEEPING MY PAX CALM AND PREPARED FOR HIGH WIND LNDG HELPFUL. HILLS JUST AHEAD OF MY LNDG SITE MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR CAUSING DOWNDRAFTS.

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.