What happened
On 13 August 2022, at approximately 14:15, a commercial tethered balloon flight was taking place in a wooded park in Bondy, France, as part of a local festival. The aircraft, an ULTRAMAGIC M105 with registration F-GYFR, was being operated by Air Pegasus Montgolfières for the purpose of providing short-duration ascents of approximately twenty meters to passengers.
As the first two passengers boarded the basket, a sudden gust of wind caused the balloon to rise unexpectedly. The balloon was then pushed back down, striking the ground for the first time. The impact caused the balloon to rise briefly to about five meters before descending and hitting the ground a second time. During this second impact, one passenger sustained a leg injury. Following the incident, the pilot deflated the envelope and cancelled all remaining scheduled flights for the day.
The investigation
The investigation examined the meteorological conditions, the pilot's preparations, and the aircraft's operational limits. While the pilot had consulted weather forecasting websites, the data indicated wind speeds and gusts that were potentially problematic. On the day of the accident, high ambient temperatures and solar noon conditions were present, which are conducive to thermal activity.
Data from nearby Le Bourget airport confirmed that wind gusts of approximately 20 knots had been observed in the region. The investigation also reviewed the flight manual for the ULTRAMAGIC M105, which specifies that for captive flights with passengers, the maximum wind speed should not exceed 10 knots. Although the pilot had implemented an extra mooring point to secure the basket, the prevailing weather conditions remained outside the safe operational envelope.