What happened
On August 29, 2008, a Schroeder / Fire balloons G hot air balloon, operating as part of a commercial flight, landed on an uncultivated field near the entrance of Bobenheim. The flight had departed from Worms approximately 70 minutes earlier as part of a group flight involving other balloons.
Upon landing, the pilot intended to move the balloon basket approximately 10 meters toward a nearby farm track. To assist with this maneuver, five passengers exited the basket to hold the exterior of the basket. After the fifth passenger had disembarked, the balloon began to lift off the ground again. The upward force of the balloon exceeded the ability of the remaining ground crew to hold the basket in place.
During this unplanned ascent, one passenger jumped from the basket rim from a height of about 2 meters, sustaining minor injuries. A second passenger, who was holding onto the lower attachment loops of the basket, was lifted unnoticed by the pilot to an altitude of between 15 and 25 meters. This individual eventually lost their grip and fell to the ground, resulting in one fatality and one minor injury. The balloon, carrying the pilot and one remaining passenger, drifted approximately 80 meters before landing safely.