Narrative:

In sum: the reporter was participating in an organized balloon festival with a waiver of far 91.119. There was a proper WX briefing that showed no tendency for the ground winds to pick up early in the day. There was a 'hare and hound' competition in progress. When the wind picked up and changed direction, the reporter could not reach the target and was now trying to get away from power lines and a substation. When the reporter found a suitable landing site, a 350 pound passenger let go of the balloon on landing and fell out of the basket breaking the small bone in his lower right leg. With this sudden weight loss, the balloon rose quickly. The reporter melted the mouth of his balloon slightly when adding heat with the mouth partially closed. The reporter flew on to a successful landing. Several balloons were able to make stand up lndgs before the period of gusts, while many others made drag lndgs as did the reporter. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies a head AX8-88 balloon with a direct pull parachute top. There was a standard WX briefing that did not show any unfavorable winds to be coming up. His passenger was only 22 yrs old, but very heavy. The passenger took his hands off to adjust his glasses and fell out of the basket on landing, breaking the small bone in his lower leg. The reporter visited him about 3 months after the incident and found that the leg had properly healed and the passenger willing and ready to help with the balloon again. There was a FSDO representative at the field at the time of the incident. The reporter talked to him and forwarded reports of the incident as requested. The reporter has heard nothing from the FAA on this matter. He states that he gave his passenger a proper briefing on how to hold on during landing and how to behave during a high wind landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PAX FELL OUT OF THE BASKET AND BROKE HIS LEG.

Narrative: IN SUM: THE RPTR WAS PARTICIPATING IN AN ORGANIZED BALLOON FESTIVAL WITH A WAIVER OF FAR 91.119. THERE WAS A PROPER WX BRIEFING THAT SHOWED NO TENDENCY FOR THE GND WINDS TO PICK UP EARLY IN THE DAY. THERE WAS A 'HARE AND HOUND' COMPETITION IN PROGRESS. WHEN THE WIND PICKED UP AND CHANGED DIRECTION, THE RPTR COULD NOT REACH THE TARGET AND WAS NOW TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM PWR LINES AND A SUBSTATION. WHEN THE RPTR FOUND A SUITABLE LNDG SITE, A 350 LB PAX LET GO OF THE BALLOON ON LNDG AND FELL OUT OF THE BASKET BREAKING THE SMALL BONE IN HIS LOWER R LEG. WITH THIS SUDDEN WT LOSS, THE BALLOON ROSE QUICKLY. THE RPTR MELTED THE MOUTH OF HIS BALLOON SLIGHTLY WHEN ADDING HEAT WITH THE MOUTH PARTIALLY CLOSED. THE RPTR FLEW ON TO A SUCCESSFUL LNDG. SEVERAL BALLOONS WERE ABLE TO MAKE STAND UP LNDGS BEFORE THE PERIOD OF GUSTS, WHILE MANY OTHERS MADE DRAG LNDGS AS DID THE RPTR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES A HEAD AX8-88 BALLOON WITH A DIRECT PULL PARACHUTE TOP. THERE WAS A STANDARD WX BRIEFING THAT DID NOT SHOW ANY UNFAVORABLE WINDS TO BE COMING UP. HIS PAX WAS ONLY 22 YRS OLD, BUT VERY HVY. THE PAX TOOK HIS HANDS OFF TO ADJUST HIS GLASSES AND FELL OUT OF THE BASKET ON LNDG, BREAKING THE SMALL BONE IN HIS LOWER LEG. THE RPTR VISITED HIM ABOUT 3 MONTHS AFTER THE INCIDENT AND FOUND THAT THE LEG HAD PROPERLY HEALED AND THE PAX WILLING AND READY TO HELP WITH THE BALLOON AGAIN. THERE WAS A FSDO REPRESENTATIVE AT THE FIELD AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE RPTR TALKED TO HIM AND FORWARDED RPTS OF THE INCIDENT AS REQUESTED. THE RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM THE FAA ON THIS MATTER. HE STATES THAT HE GAVE HIS PAX A PROPER BRIEFING ON HOW TO HOLD ON DURING LNDG AND HOW TO BEHAVE DURING A HIGH WIND LNDG.

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.