What happened
On the morning of January 7, 2011, a Chaize CS3000 hot air balloon, registration F-GXEB, was conducting a passenger flight near Lachamp, France. The flight, part of an aerial event, began from a private launch site southwest of Mende. After approximately one hour of flight, the pilot attempted to land in a meadow north of the city.
During the landing sequence, the balloon's envelope touched the ground within the first third of the available landing area. The descent continued until the balloon struck a barrier and subsequently crashed into a group of fir trees. The impact resulted in two minor injuries to the passengers and caused significant damage to the balloon's envelope.
The investigation
The investigation examined the meteorological conditions and the pilot's preparations prior to the flight. On the morning of the accident, the pilot had consulted a Météo France forecaster and noted a relatively low cloud layer. To assess local conditions, the pilot launched a helium balloon at approximately 09:00, which indicated a light north-bound wind of 3 to 4 knots.
However, regional weather reports from nearby aerodromes indicated much more volatile conditions. The Nîmes aerodrome forecast (TAF) predicted winds from 140° at 15 knots with gusts up to 25 knots. Similarly, the Puy en Velay forecast indicated winds from 160° at 20 knots with gusts reaching 35 knots. Local conditions at the site were characterized by moderate turbulence below 2,400 meters and wind gusts between 19 and 25 knots.
Findings
- The pilot selected a landing site with a field length that was insufficient to safely manage the actual wind gusts present during the landing.
- The pilot had a previous accident involving a hot air balloon two years prior, which also occurred during a tourist flight in degraded weather conditions involving high wind gusts.
- The primary cause of the accident was the insufficient consideration of meteorological conditions that were unsuitable for conducting a free flight balloon operation.