Lta balloon pilot had to land too steeply to get into the field. On landing passenger lost his balan...

Narrative:

3 pilots arrived at the launch field to fly a party of 7 people. The WX at the field was ok, but not perfect as the winds were shifting, making the balloon roll side-to- side. The first balloon inflated and was waiting for the other 2 to inflate. I was waiting for the wind to calm down a little to make the inflation easier. The second balloon inflated, but was at the end of her safety rope and was unable to tilt the burner to put heat in the envelope, so she took it down to start over. I was still waiting. She inflated a second time and did not have any trouble. I then inflated my balloon with little trouble. I took off first and went to about 800 ft. After about 1/2 hour I started looking for a spot to land. Ahead of me was a large field at the telephone facility, which you can see from a long distance away, but as I got closer the wind shifted to the southeast toward much smaller fields. I tried to adjust my altitude to get to a larger field but it did not work out, so I set up for my second choice. I started to stairstep down to land but had to come in a little steep to get into this small field. I did not want to go past this field, as the others available would be even smaller, and I would not be able to overfly the small fields to the larger one beyond. Sunset would be in 15 mins and I would not have enough time. As I landed, my passenger lost his balance and landed on his wife, injuring her leg. Looking back, maybe a little peer pressure took place as if one balloon didn't go, none would since all the people were from one party. But I did go so maybe I should have landed earlier in a larger field or I should have left earlier to give me more time to find a larger field, or maybe requiring passenger to fly with hightop sneakers or hiking boots to give support to the ankle, as this would have prevented injury to her ankle.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTA BALLOON PLT HAD TO LAND TOO STEEPLY TO GET INTO THE FIELD. ON LNDG PAX LOST HIS BAL AND FELL ON HIS WIFE, INJURING HER ANKLE.

Narrative: 3 PLTS ARRIVED AT THE LAUNCH FIELD TO FLY A PARTY OF 7 PEOPLE. THE WX AT THE FIELD WAS OK, BUT NOT PERFECT AS THE WINDS WERE SHIFTING, MAKING THE BALLOON ROLL SIDE-TO- SIDE. THE FIRST BALLOON INFLATED AND WAS WAITING FOR THE OTHER 2 TO INFLATE. I WAS WAITING FOR THE WIND TO CALM DOWN A LITTLE TO MAKE THE INFLATION EASIER. THE SECOND BALLOON INFLATED, BUT WAS AT THE END OF HER SAFETY ROPE AND WAS UNABLE TO TILT THE BURNER TO PUT HEAT IN THE ENVELOPE, SO SHE TOOK IT DOWN TO START OVER. I WAS STILL WAITING. SHE INFLATED A SECOND TIME AND DID NOT HAVE ANY TROUBLE. I THEN INFLATED MY BALLOON WITH LITTLE TROUBLE. I TOOK OFF FIRST AND WENT TO ABOUT 800 FT. AFTER ABOUT 1/2 HR I STARTED LOOKING FOR A SPOT TO LAND. AHEAD OF ME WAS A LARGE FIELD AT THE TELEPHONE FACILITY, WHICH YOU CAN SEE FROM A LONG DISTANCE AWAY, BUT AS I GOT CLOSER THE WIND SHIFTED TO THE SE TOWARD MUCH SMALLER FIELDS. I TRIED TO ADJUST MY ALT TO GET TO A LARGER FIELD BUT IT DID NOT WORK OUT, SO I SET UP FOR MY SECOND CHOICE. I STARTED TO STAIRSTEP DOWN TO LAND BUT HAD TO COME IN A LITTLE STEEP TO GET INTO THIS SMALL FIELD. I DID NOT WANT TO GO PAST THIS FIELD, AS THE OTHERS AVAILABLE WOULD BE EVEN SMALLER, AND I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO OVERFLY THE SMALL FIELDS TO THE LARGER ONE BEYOND. SUNSET WOULD BE IN 15 MINS AND I WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME. AS I LANDED, MY PAX LOST HIS BAL AND LANDED ON HIS WIFE, INJURING HER LEG. LOOKING BACK, MAYBE A LITTLE PEER PRESSURE TOOK PLACE AS IF ONE BALLOON DIDN'T GO, NONE WOULD SINCE ALL THE PEOPLE WERE FROM ONE PARTY. BUT I DID GO SO MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE LANDED EARLIER IN A LARGER FIELD OR I SHOULD HAVE LEFT EARLIER TO GIVE ME MORE TIME TO FIND A LARGER FIELD, OR MAYBE REQUIRING PAX TO FLY WITH HIGHTOP SNEAKERS OR HIKING BOOTS TO GIVE SUPPORT TO THE ANKLE, AS THIS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED INJURY TO HER ANKLE.

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.

Attributes
ACN	413051
Time
Date	199808
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : miv
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 475
ASRS Report	413051
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Lta balloon pilot had to land too steeply to get into the field. On landing passenger lost his balance and fell on his wife, injuring her ankle.