What happened
On August 13, 2021, a private hot air balloon flight involving a Cameron Balloons N-77, registration OY-OOH, experienced a hard landing near Særslev, Denmark. The flight, which lasted approximately 80 minutes, was traveling from a location near Lunghøj to the Særslev area under visual flight rules.
Prior to touchdown, the pilot noted that wind speeds were higher than anticipated and were not decreasing as expected. The pilot warned the passengers of a difficult landing and instructed them to remain in the basket and hold on. During the impact, the basket hit the ground on a narrow edge, tilted, and dragged across a harvested field.
One passenger, attempting to secure personal camera equipment with one hand while holding the basket with the other, lost their balance. The passenger's upper body moved outside the basket as the vessel continued to slide. As the balloon briefly regained buoyancy and lifted, the passenger was left hanging from the edge of the basket by their heels before falling approximately 1.5 to 2 meters to the ground. The basket eventually came to a stop after sliding roughly 10 to 15 meters.
The investigation
The investigation examined the meteorological conditions, the pilot's briefing, and the passenger's actions. Data from the flight and meteorological reports from the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) confirmed that wind speeds were higher than the pilot had initially expected, likely due to the dissipation of a morning temperature inversion caused by early sun warming.
The investigation also reviewed the contents of the landing briefing. While the pilot intended for passengers to hold the basket with both hands, the investigation found that the passenger's interpretation of the instruction differed, influenced by their lack of ballooning experience and their focus on protecting their photography gear.
Findings
- The primary cause of the injury was divergent interpretations of the landing briefing regarding how passengers should secure themselves.
- The passenger's attempt to prioritize the safety of personal equipment prevented them from maintaining a secure grip with both hands.
- Increased wind speeds and unexpected fluctuations at the time of landing resulted in a hard landing.
- The technical condition of the Cameron Balloons N-77 was not a contributing factor to the incident.