What happened
On 14 August 2022, a private flight involving a Cameron O-9 and registration G-BYTW was conducting a landing at the Snetterton Racetrack east car park. During the descent, the student pilot identified obstacles at the primary landing site and diverted to a secondary location consisting of a grassed area enclosed by a low wire fence.
As the balloon approached the ground, the student pilot noted an increase in descent speed. Deciding to use the fence to help arrest the balloon's momentum, the student pulled the rip line to deflate the envelope. As the basket made contact with the wire fence, a sudden jolt caused the student pilot's left foot to catch and twist against a restraint mounting on the basket floor. This impact resulted in one serious injury (a broken leg) to the student pilot, while the instructor and passenger remained uninjured. The balloon and basket sustained no damage, though the fence was impacted.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight dynamics and the student pilot's decision-making during the final stages of the descent. The instructor noted that another balloon had flown over the area minutes prior at a low speed, leading the crew to believe their own ground speed was lower than it actually was. The investigation also looked at the positioning of the student pilot's limbs during the landing sequence and the use of the rip line in relation to the obstacle.