What happened
On September 8, 2009, a Schroeder fire balloons / Fire Balloons G hot air balloon landed in a cornfield near Meppen, Germany, following a private flight. Because the landing site was unsuitable for packing the aircraft, the pilot decided to move the balloon across a nearby road to a meadow approximately 30 meters away.
The pilot instructed the three passengers to exit the basket to assist in maneuvering the aircraft. The pilot maintained the balloon in a low hover, between 1.0 and 2.0 meters above the ground, while the passengers pulled the basket toward the target area. During the maneuver, one passenger noticed a ditch overgrown with weeds and commanded the others to let go of the basket. While two helpers released immediately, one passenger remained clinging to the right-side handles.
As the balloon began to rise due to the sudden loss of weight, the basket struck tree branches. The pilot, unaware that a passenger was still attached, used the burner to stabilize the ascent to clear the trees. During the collision with the treetops, the passenger was torn from the basket by the branches and fell to the forest floor, sustaining serious injuries. The balloon eventually landed in a meadow approximately 300 meters from the initial landing site.
The investigation
The BFU investigation focused on the sequence of events during the relocation of the balloon. Investigators analyzed GPS data from a Garmin ETREX device, which showed the balloon reached a maximum altitude of approximately 50 meters above ground level. The investigation also examined the physical condition of the aircraft, finding no technical defects, though several sections of the envelope and load tapes were torn.
The BFU examined the communication between the ground crew and the pilot, noting that the dense vegetation and the noise from the burner likely prevented the passenger from hearing the command to release the handles. Furthermore, the investigation found that the flexible nature of the handles made it difficult to release one's grip, as the passenger's fingers were effectively pinched between the basket rim and the ropes under their own body weight.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the inability to secure the balloon during relocation from an unsuitable landing site, leading to an unintended ascent.
- Communication failure between the ground crew and the pilot prevented the pilot from realizing a passenger was still attached to the basket.
- The pilot's decision to attempt to set the passenger down within the wooded area significantly increased the risk of injury and the risk of the basket overturning.
- Environmental factors, including limited visibility between ground crew members due to tall crops and the physical difficulty of releasing the handles, contributed to the incident.