What happened
On July 31, 2013, a Cameron Balloons O-77 hot air balloon, registration G-BRTV, was participating in the "Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons" event near Chambley Bussières, France. The flight was part of a coordinated attempt to set a world record for the largest number of hot air balloons in the air simultaneously.
Following the flight, the pilot attempted a "standing landing" (atterrissage debout) on a roadside adjacent to a cultivated field. This technique involves keeping the envelope inflated after touchdown by reigniting the burners. After landing, the pilot reignited one of the two burners to maintain verticality in the basket. However, the pilot did not realize that the wind was pushing the balloon toward the roadside verge. This movement caused the basket to tip over. Before the pilot could extinguish the burner's pilot light, the envelope caught fire, and the flames spread to the adjacent field.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's decision-making and the operational environment. It was noted that the event organizers had previously instructed pilots not to land in cultivated fields due to crop damage, which likely influenced the pilot's choice to land on the roadside.
Investigators also reviewed the manufacturer's flight manual. The manual specifies that burners should be extinguished during landing, particularly when there is a fire risk in the landing area. The investigation found that while the "standing landing" technique is a common practice among balloonists to facilitate easy access to recovery vehicles, it is not officially sanctioned by the manufacturer's manual.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's decision to perform a standing landing, which led to the basket tipping.
- The decision to land on the roadside was likely influenced by organizational restrictions regarding landing in nearby crops.
- The decision to reignite the burners after touchdown created a significant fire risk, as the manufacturer's manual requires burners to be extinguished during the landing phase to prevent such an occurrence.