Incident Overview
On March 12, 2016, at about 0900 eastern standard time, a Balloon Works Firefly 8B-15 balloon, registration N3180S, made a hard landing in a field in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The balloon was registered to Eagle's Wings Hot Air Balloons LLC of Rock Hill and operated by the pilot as a day, visual flight rules, passenger flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight originated from private property in Rock Hill and was conducted in the local area.
Injuries and Damage
According to the accident report, the pilot and one passenger were not injured. A second passenger sustained serious injuries during the landing sequence. The balloon itself sustained no damage.
Pilot Account
The pilot reported that after clearing trees during the approach to a field, a wind gust and downdraft caused a hard landing. During the landing, one passenger was thrown into the second passenger, impacting her leg with his knee, resulting in serious injury. The pilot stated that for the landing sequence, both passengers were instructed to put their feet and knees together, slightly bend their knees, and hold onto two places in the basket. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the balloon prior to the flight that would have resulted in abnormal operation.
Meteorological Information
The closest weather reporting station to the accident site was Rock Hill-York County Airport (UZA), about 5.5 nautical miles to the northeast. About 6 minutes prior to the accident, it reported wind from 110 degrees at 3 knots. The pilot reported that the wind condition at the accident site was from 110 degrees at 5 knots.
Landing and Passenger Securement Guidance
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Balloon Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-11A (2008) discusses landing and passenger securement. The handbook states that in any branch of aviation, takeoff and landing are the most critical maneuvers, and that in ballooning, landing is number one. It notes that the vast majority of ballooning accidents and injuries occur on landing, and that the leading factor in accidents is wind, with highly variable surface winds often speeding up, slowing down, stopping, turning, and even going backward. Regarding passenger securement during landing, the handbook advises that passengers should be reminded to hold on tight, and the pilot should advise passengers of correct places to hold, whether factory-built passenger handles or places in the basket the pilot considers appropriate.