On January 23, 2021, about 0908 mountain standard time, an ARBC Inc dba Lindstrand 77A balloon, N477LB, was involved in an accident near Rio Rancho, New Mexico, when the passenger sustained fatal injuries following a hard landing. The pilot was not injured, and the balloon was not damaged. The balloon was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that, before the accident flight, she performed three takeoffs and landings for currency. The passenger then boarded the hot air balloon and was briefed by the pilot. Following an uneventful flight, the pilot briefed the passenger for landing, which included instructions to “secure himself down in the basket, holding on in 2 places.” The terrain had ravines, gullies, bushes, and rocks. The pilot stated that during the landing descent, there was a bush that she selected to intentionally hit to slow the balloons ground speed down. The balloon brushed the vegetation, continued to descend, and landed hard. After the hard landing, the balloon became airborne and turned with the basket at a slight angle when the passenger “slid out the side of the basket,” about 5 ft above ground level. The pilot landed the balloon uneventfully and stated that she was met by the passenger shortly after she had secured the balloon.

The pilot and passenger hiked across a ravine to a nearby ridge, at which point the pilot was able to contact her crew with the location of the balloon. During this time, passenger was alert; however, he wanted to sit down to rest. The pilot stated that 911 was called about an hour after the hard landing, and the passenger was attended to by emergency personnel before he was transported to the hospital. The passenger later succumbed to injuries sustained in the accident.

The Office of the Medical Investigator, Albuquerque, New Mexico, performed an autopsy on the passenger. The cause of death was blunt pelvic trauma.