What happened
On 18 May 2018, a Cameron A-300 hot air balloon, registration G-VBAD, was preparing for a commercial passenger flight near Launceston, Cornwall. The weather conditions were clear with light winds. During the inflation process, the crew encountered a minor delay when the parachute valve Velcro tabs failed to secure properly, requiring a second inflation attempt.
As the remaining passengers began to board the upright basket, the pilot monitored the burners from the central compartment while a ground crew member checked control lines from the basket rim. While the penultimate passenger was climbing into the basket, she lost her footing and fell from the edge onto the ground. The fall resulted in one serious injury (a broken arm).
The investigation
The AAIB examined the sequence of the boarding process and interviewed the passengers involved. The investigation established that the passenger had declined an initial offer to "pre-load"—a method where passengers board while the basket is still on its side—believing she could climb into the upright basket easily.
During the climb, the passenger placed her feet into the basket's foot holes and attempted to move her right leg over the internal compartment divider. While her husband assisted her, she lost her grip on the padded edge of the basket, causing her to roll forward over the left edge and fall to the ground. Some passengers noted that the pilot appeared to be moving quickly to board the remaining people, possibly to add weight to the basket to prevent movement.
Findings
- The passenger experienced difficulty navigating the basket's edge and internal divider while climbing into the upright compartment.
- The passenger lost her grip on the basket edge during the boarding maneuver.
- The passenger's decision not to utilize the pre-loading option increased the physical difficulty of the climb.
- There was a perception among some passengers that the boarding process was being rushed.