What happened
On 9 March 2026, a KubiceK BB22 M hot air balloon, registration SP-BZG, departed from a meadow in Zatonie for a planned flight toward the EPZP airfield near Zielona Góra. The crew consisted of the pilot and two passengers. During the flight, the balloon traveled over the built-up areas of Zielona Góra at a relatively low altitude.
At approximately 06:32 UTC, while flying near a hospital helipad, the balloon began to descend. The basket of the aircraft struck the wall of an 11-story building located at ul. Bolesława Krzywoustego 28-30. The impact occurred at a horizontal velocity of approximately 7.5 m/s. During the collision, the pilot was ejected from the basket and fell onto the building's roof, where she subsequently died.
The remaining two passengers remained in the basket as the balloon was pulled across the edge of the roof and continued its flight. The balloon landed approximately 330 meters away at ul. Sulechowska 1, coming to a stop near a stationary bus. During the landing, the balloon envelope came into contact with a tree.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation team conducted a visual inspection of the accident sites and the aircraft. The investigation included functional tests of the fuel system and burners, as well as a review of police accident files. Investigators also analyzed flight data recorded by the DBI3 flight instrument and the pilot's navigation tablet to reconstruct the flight parameters and determine the sequence of events.
Findings
- The collision with the building caused significant mechanical and thermal damage to the balloon envelope.
- The basket sustained significant damage, including broken burner supports and damage to the top ring of one cylinder.
- The pilot suffered a fatal injury due to the fall from the basket during the impact.
- The two passengers sustained minor injuries.
- There were no malfunctions or mechanical failures of the balloon prior to the collision with the building.