Incident Overview
A student pilot and flight instructor were conducting the ninth training flight in a balloon. According to the instructor, the student approached a grass field at an airspeed of about 5 knots. The landing involved multiple touchdowns. After the first touchdown, the balloon rebounded upward and touched down a second time approximately 65 feet northwest of the initial touchdown point.
Injury Details
During the second touchdown, the student placed his right foot on the front of the basket to brace for the landing while his left foot remained on the floor. The balloon touched down, causing the student to roll his ankle. The balloon rebounded again, and the flight instructor pulled the valve line to deflate it. The balloon came to rest about 30 feet farther northwest. The student sustained a broken ankle.
Aircraft Condition
The balloon did not sustain substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Instructor's Response
Following the incident, the flight instructor stated, "In an effort to prevent an accident similar to the one that occurred with N7423D, I will brief student pilots as to the importance of bracing oneself correctly and that two feet on the floor during touch downs will provide better stability from the human factors perspective of balance. I will also discuss this event in future safety forums within the balloon community in order to enhance safety. It is my belief that these actions will help to prevent any future occurrences of this nature."