A hot air balloon pilot broke bones in her lower leg while moving across the ground after landing.

Attributes
ACN	338633
Time
Date	199606
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sjt airport : sju
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dpa
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 8 flight time total : 128 flight time type : 128
ASRS Report	338633
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I had landed my balloon and was moving along the ground. I had my left foot braced against the wicker basket on top of the horizontal propane tank as I vented to stop the motion. I struck a mesquite bush, and its trunk hit precisely against the toe of my boot, flexing the wicker and pushing my foot back against the muscles bracing it, breaking both bones that connect the leg to the ankle. One of my passenger (an emt) said 1 inch either way and there would have been no injury. Had I realized how large the trunk on the mesquite tree was, I would have made a greater effort not to hit it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying in a regional championship event. Her passenger was a representative of her sponsor. Her breaks are mending nicely. When her doctor clears her for flight again, she has been asked to fly with a representative from the local FSDO. The reporter reported this incident both to the NTSB and the FAA. The check ride that the reporter will take seems to be very informal. There has been no official paperwork delivered to her requiring this ride.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT BROKE BONES IN HER LOWER LEG WHILE MOVING ACROSS THE GND AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: I HAD LANDED MY BALLOON AND WAS MOVING ALONG THE GND. I HAD MY L FOOT BRACED AGAINST THE WICKER BASKET ON TOP OF THE HORIZ PROPANE TANK AS I VENTED TO STOP THE MOTION. I STRUCK A MESQUITE BUSH, AND ITS TRUNK HIT PRECISELY AGAINST THE TOE OF MY BOOT, FLEXING THE WICKER AND PUSHING MY FOOT BACK AGAINST THE MUSCLES BRACING IT, BREAKING BOTH BONES THAT CONNECT THE LEG TO THE ANKLE. ONE OF MY PAX (AN EMT) SAID 1 INCH EITHER WAY AND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO INJURY. HAD I REALIZED HOW LARGE THE TRUNK ON THE MESQUITE TREE WAS, I WOULD HAVE MADE A GREATER EFFORT NOT TO HIT IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING IN A REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT. HER PAX WAS A REPRESENTATIVE OF HER SPONSOR. HER BREAKS ARE MENDING NICELY. WHEN HER DOCTOR CLEARS HER FOR FLT AGAIN, SHE HAS BEEN ASKED TO FLY WITH A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE LCL FSDO. THE RPTR RPTED THIS INCIDENT BOTH TO THE NTSB AND THE FAA. THE CHK RIDE THAT THE RPTR WILL TAKE SEEMS TO BE VERY INFORMAL. THERE HAS BEEN NO OFFICIAL PAPERWORK DELIVERED TO HER REQUIRING THIS RIDE.

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.