Narrative:

Planned evening balloon flight in brighton/howell michigan area. I planned to fly about AG30 local time. I called flight service at AB30. Local forecasts showed winds no greater than 10 KTS in forecast until sunset hours. Local winds in area 6- 11 KTS, but flint was gusting to 16 KTS. There was some convective activity between saginaw and traverse city, but none in forecast for lansing, detroit, and flint. Doppler winds in area approximately 10 KTS, with forecast winds aloft at 3000 ft at 10 KTS, 6000 ft and above light variable. I received second WX briefing from flight service at AE40. Again winds were as above, with some convective activity near saginaw, which was moving away to the northeast. Convective activity was not forecast in our flying area. I met our passenger for our flight at AF40. Surface winds were out of anywhere between 230-270 degrees at no more than 10 KTS. I decided to launch in howell, and fly east/northeast towards brighton. Prior to launch at about AG30, I did note convective activity north of launch site. I took this to be the southern edge of any WX north of us. Surface and local conditions were still good, but I did make mental note of convection. I was taking a family for a ride on child's birthday, and felt I could do a quick flight to the east as planned. After we took off I noticed the convective activity moving south towards us, a direction not in forecast. I was over congested area now, and could not land. 10 mins into flight we were still flying west at about 9- 10 KTS, 500 ft AGL, looking to land with what I now saw deteriorating WX. A few mins later, I noticed my flight speed start to increase, and my direction turn 90 degrees to south. I knew I was entering a gusty wind situation now. With 4 passenger and myself onboard, I made decision to land quickly, when we cleared urban area. When wind further increased we cleared city and came over soybean fields. Upwind 1/2 mi I noted major power lines and towers. I initiated descent to land in soybean field, I did not want to try to fly over power lines with wind gusty and getting faster. My balloon went about 15 ft through the top of 2 trees before soybean field, it helped to slow my speed for landing. We hit hard in soybean field, I don't know how hard, and I had deflation panel opened at landing. The balloon was 100 yds from power lines, but we tipped over and drug about 150 ft before stopping safely. 1 passenger had broken ankle on hard landing, but no damage to balloon at all. We were all ok from the experience except for ankle of 1 passenger. I know the hard landing resulted in gusting winds forming from convective activity moving or forming in areas where none was forecast. I discovered this from wind increasing speed and direction suddenly. I had to take corrective action by either trying to climb above, or land before power lines. With gusty wind conditions, I made decision to land, and not attempt to fly over power lines. I believe now when I first noticed convective activity moving or forming in area before launch, I should have either waited to see how the WX developed, or called flight service to see how it was developing. I had been meeting people and driving to launch site since last briefing, almost 1 1/2 hours before I launched. I should have done either before flying that day. I believe my decision to land before conditions worsened was correct, I did not want to continue flying to make conditions even worse. About 1/2 hour after landing, I saw lightning and we had light rain from convection in area. I landed balloon safely, using trees to slow down, and had to land hard in soybeans to be sure I missed power lines. I tried to do what I thought best after takeoff, but hindsight says I should not have flown at all.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LOW TIME BALLOON PLT INJURES ONE OF HIS PAX WHEN HE DRAGS HIS BASKET THROUGH SOME TREES AND MAKES A HARD LNDG IN A SOYBEAN FIELD. PLT RPTED ENCOUNTERING UNFORECAST WINDS AND CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY.

Narrative: PLANNED EVENING BALLOON FLT IN BRIGHTON/HOWELL MICHIGAN AREA. I PLANNED TO FLY ABOUT AG30 LCL TIME. I CALLED FLT SVC AT AB30. LCL FORECASTS SHOWED WINDS NO GREATER THAN 10 KTS IN FORECAST UNTIL SUNSET HRS. LCL WINDS IN AREA 6- 11 KTS, BUT FLINT WAS GUSTING TO 16 KTS. THERE WAS SOME CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY BTWN SAGINAW AND TRAVERSE CITY, BUT NONE IN FORECAST FOR LANSING, DETROIT, AND FLINT. DOPPLER WINDS IN AREA APPROX 10 KTS, WITH FORECAST WINDS ALOFT AT 3000 FT AT 10 KTS, 6000 FT AND ABOVE LIGHT VARIABLE. I RECEIVED SECOND WX BRIEFING FROM FLT SVC AT AE40. AGAIN WINDS WERE AS ABOVE, WITH SOME CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY NEAR SAGINAW, WHICH WAS MOVING AWAY TO THE NE. CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WAS NOT FORECAST IN OUR FLYING AREA. I MET OUR PAX FOR OUR FLT AT AF40. SURFACE WINDS WERE OUT OF ANYWHERE BTWN 230-270 DEGS AT NO MORE THAN 10 KTS. I DECIDED TO LAUNCH IN HOWELL, AND FLY E/NE TOWARDS BRIGHTON. PRIOR TO LAUNCH AT ABOUT AG30, I DID NOTE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY N OF LAUNCH SITE. I TOOK THIS TO BE THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF ANY WX N OF US. SURFACE AND LCL CONDITIONS WERE STILL GOOD, BUT I DID MAKE MENTAL NOTE OF CONVECTION. I WAS TAKING A FAMILY FOR A RIDE ON CHILD'S BIRTHDAY, AND FELT I COULD DO A QUICK FLT TO THE E AS PLANNED. AFTER WE TOOK OFF I NOTICED THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY MOVING S TOWARDS US, A DIRECTION NOT IN FORECAST. I WAS OVER CONGESTED AREA NOW, AND COULD NOT LAND. 10 MINS INTO FLT WE WERE STILL FLYING W AT ABOUT 9- 10 KTS, 500 FT AGL, LOOKING TO LAND WITH WHAT I NOW SAW DETERIORATING WX. A FEW MINS LATER, I NOTICED MY FLT SPD START TO INCREASE, AND MY DIRECTION TURN 90 DEGS TO S. I KNEW I WAS ENTERING A GUSTY WIND SIT NOW. WITH 4 PAX AND MYSELF ONBOARD, I MADE DECISION TO LAND QUICKLY, WHEN WE CLRED URBAN AREA. WHEN WIND FURTHER INCREASED WE CLRED CITY AND CAME OVER SOYBEAN FIELDS. UPWIND 1/2 MI I NOTED MAJOR PWR LINES AND TWRS. I INITIATED DSCNT TO LAND IN SOYBEAN FIELD, I DID NOT WANT TO TRY TO FLY OVER PWR LINES WITH WIND GUSTY AND GETTING FASTER. MY BALLOON WENT ABOUT 15 FT THROUGH THE TOP OF 2 TREES BEFORE SOYBEAN FIELD, IT HELPED TO SLOW MY SPD FOR LNDG. WE HIT HARD IN SOYBEAN FIELD, I DON'T KNOW HOW HARD, AND I HAD DEFLATION PANEL OPENED AT LNDG. THE BALLOON WAS 100 YDS FROM PWR LINES, BUT WE TIPPED OVER AND DRUG ABOUT 150 FT BEFORE STOPPING SAFELY. 1 PAX HAD BROKEN ANKLE ON HARD LNDG, BUT NO DAMAGE TO BALLOON AT ALL. WE WERE ALL OK FROM THE EXPERIENCE EXCEPT FOR ANKLE OF 1 PAX. I KNOW THE HARD LNDG RESULTED IN GUSTING WINDS FORMING FROM CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY MOVING OR FORMING IN AREAS WHERE NONE WAS FORECAST. I DISCOVERED THIS FROM WIND INCREASING SPD AND DIRECTION SUDDENLY. I HAD TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION BY EITHER TRYING TO CLB ABOVE, OR LAND BEFORE PWR LINES. WITH GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS, I MADE DECISION TO LAND, AND NOT ATTEMPT TO FLY OVER PWR LINES. I BELIEVE NOW WHEN I FIRST NOTICED CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY MOVING OR FORMING IN AREA BEFORE LAUNCH, I SHOULD HAVE EITHER WAITED TO SEE HOW THE WX DEVELOPED, OR CALLED FLT SVC TO SEE HOW IT WAS DEVELOPING. I HAD BEEN MEETING PEOPLE AND DRIVING TO LAUNCH SITE SINCE LAST BRIEFING, ALMOST 1 1/2 HRS BEFORE I LAUNCHED. I SHOULD HAVE DONE EITHER BEFORE FLYING THAT DAY. I BELIEVE MY DECISION TO LAND BEFORE CONDITIONS WORSENED WAS CORRECT, I DID NOT WANT TO CONTINUE FLYING TO MAKE CONDITIONS EVEN WORSE. ABOUT 1/2 HR AFTER LNDG, I SAW LIGHTNING AND WE HAD LIGHT RAIN FROM CONVECTION IN AREA. I LANDED BALLOON SAFELY, USING TREES TO SLOW DOWN, AND HAD TO LAND HARD IN SOYBEANS TO BE SURE I MISSED PWR LINES. I TRIED TO DO WHAT I THOUGHT BEST AFTER TKOF, BUT HINDSIGHT SAYS I SHOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN AT ALL.

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.