What happened
On August 16, 2020, at approximately 07:30 local time, an Ultramagic M-120 hot air balloon, registration EC-LVM, departed from a field near Angüés, Huesca, for a commercial sightseeing flight. The aircraft was operated by Servicio Telefónico para el Ciudadano S.L. and carried one pilot and three passengers.
During the flight, the pilot observed a progressive increase in wind speeds, with gusts reaching 22 km/h and a shift toward a more southerly component. To avoid being drifted toward the Pre-Pyrenees mountains to the north, the pilot adjusted the flight altitude to find a more suitable trajectory.
As the balloon approached the landing site near Azara, the pilot navigated around a hill. During the final descent, the balloon experienced an increase in both horizontal and vertical descent speeds, likely due to the leeward effect of the hill, which was too low for the pilot to fully anticipate. The basket made a hard landing on a field, causing the basket to tilt sharply and slide approximately 15 meters. The movement continued across a 50 cm boundary between two plots of land, eventually causing the basket to overturn and come to a complete stop.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight trajectory, meteorological conditions, and the physical impact of the landing. Investigators reviewed video footage taken from the ground, which confirmed the intensity of the impact. The analysis also considered the pilot's use of navigation programs and the wind conditions recorded via GPS.
Medical evidence and passenger testimonies were reviewed to understand the mechanism of injury. It was noted that while the pilot had provided standard safety instructions—including instructions to brace with legs flexed and hold onto internal handles—the suddenness of the basket's movement contributed to the incident. Additionally, the investigation found that the lack of a final burner burst to cushion the descent contributed to the vertical impact force.