What happened
On September 20, 2016, a private Cameron A-140 hot air balloon, registered SP-BEP, departed from Białystok at 17:45 LMT. The pilot was flying in a southerly direction. At approximately 18:15, the pilot selected a meadow near the village of Olmonty as a landing site and began the approach.
During the final stages of the approach, the balloon's basket made contact with a television antenna and an object attached to a chimney on a single-family residence. The impact caused damage to the antenna and the chimney attachment. The balloon subsequently completed its landing at the intended location. There were no injuries to the pilot or any persons on the ground, and the aircraft itself sustained no damage.
The investigation
The investigation, conducted by the user, established that the contact between the basket and the residential structures was a result of the pilot's flight path. According to the pilot's statement, the collision occurred because the necessary vertical separation from obstacles was not maintained during the landing approach.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the failure to maintain sufficient vertical separation from terrain obstacles during the landing approach.