Narrative:

I checked the WX on the internet before leaving the hotel for the launch field. Forecasted winds were 7 KTS out of the north. Winds aloft were in the teens at 9 and 12000 ft. The forecast for after XA00 am was for variable winds at 6 KTS. The WX reports on the field mirrored those that I had received on the internet. The event opened the field for flight. We flew from the field; climbed out of the southerly flow at about 2000 ft AGL. We then had a track to the nnw. After about 1 1/2 hours of flying we were witnessing hard lndgs. I saw 2 balloons to the south go into some sage brush at what looked like a reasonable speed; so I maneuvered into position to land in the same area. When I got close to the area and treetop high we were still moving too fast; so I climbed back up into the slower winds and found a northwesterly flow. This track would eventually take me north of a very large construction site with graded sand. At approximately 2 1/2 hours into the flight I prepared myself and my passenger for a hard high wind landing. My vent line and deflation line were on the back side of the basket. I had my most experienced crew person pull the vent line on my command while I pulled the deflation line at about 50-75 ft above the surface just as we cleared the houses and entered the northeast corner of the construction site. We hit extremely hard and when we came to a stop the balloon had righted itself and the deflation and vent lines were now in front or on the ground side of the basket. The 3 of us were taken to the hospital and released after x-rays showed no broken bones. I don't believe I could have done any differently to prevent such an outcome as the high winds were neither expected or predicted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON ENCOUNTERED HIGH WINDS AFTER AIRBORNE. PLT PREPARED FOR AND CONDUCTED A HARD LNDG; DEFLATING THE CANOPY.

Narrative: I CHKED THE WX ON THE INTERNET BEFORE LEAVING THE HOTEL FOR THE LAUNCH FIELD. FORECASTED WINDS WERE 7 KTS OUT OF THE N. WINDS ALOFT WERE IN THE TEENS AT 9 AND 12000 FT. THE FORECAST FOR AFTER XA00 AM WAS FOR VARIABLE WINDS AT 6 KTS. THE WX RPTS ON THE FIELD MIRRORED THOSE THAT I HAD RECEIVED ON THE INTERNET. THE EVENT OPENED THE FIELD FOR FLT. WE FLEW FROM THE FIELD; CLBED OUT OF THE SOUTHERLY FLOW AT ABOUT 2000 FT AGL. WE THEN HAD A TRACK TO THE NNW. AFTER ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS OF FLYING WE WERE WITNESSING HARD LNDGS. I SAW 2 BALLOONS TO THE S GO INTO SOME SAGE BRUSH AT WHAT LOOKED LIKE A REASONABLE SPD; SO I MANEUVERED INTO POS TO LAND IN THE SAME AREA. WHEN I GOT CLOSE TO THE AREA AND TREETOP HIGH WE WERE STILL MOVING TOO FAST; SO I CLBED BACK UP INTO THE SLOWER WINDS AND FOUND A NORTHWESTERLY FLOW. THIS TRACK WOULD EVENTUALLY TAKE ME N OF A VERY LARGE CONSTRUCTION SITE WITH GRADED SAND. AT APPROX 2 1/2 HRS INTO THE FLT I PREPARED MYSELF AND MY PAX FOR A HARD HIGH WIND LNDG. MY VENT LINE AND DEFLATION LINE WERE ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE BASKET. I HAD MY MOST EXPERIENCED CREW PERSON PULL THE VENT LINE ON MY COMMAND WHILE I PULLED THE DEFLATION LINE AT ABOUT 50-75 FT ABOVE THE SURFACE JUST AS WE CLRED THE HOUSES AND ENTERED THE NE CORNER OF THE CONSTRUCTION SITE. WE HIT EXTREMELY HARD AND WHEN WE CAME TO A STOP THE BALLOON HAD RIGHTED ITSELF AND THE DEFLATION AND VENT LINES WERE NOW IN FRONT OR ON THE GND SIDE OF THE BASKET. THE 3 OF US WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND RELEASED AFTER X-RAYS SHOWED NO BROKEN BONES. I DON'T BELIEVE I COULD HAVE DONE ANY DIFFERENTLY TO PREVENT SUCH AN OUTCOME AS THE HIGH WINDS WERE NEITHER EXPECTED OR PREDICTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.