What happened
On October 31, 2009, a commercial hot air balloon flight departed from an outdoor launch site in Cologne-Sülz. The crew, consisting of the pilot and eight passengers, flew for approximately one hour. As the pilot approached a planned landing area west of Hemmerden, the basket of the Schroeder / fire balloons G collided with the roof of a residential building. The impact dislodged several roof tiles, which fell onto a parked car. Following this collision, the balloon completed its landing on an agricultural field at approximately 16:40 local time. During the landing process, one passenger sustained a broken ankle.
The investigation
The BFU investigation examined the flight conditions and the aircraft's status. At the time of the accident, meteorological reports indicated visual flight rules (VFR) conditions, with visibility between 8 and 15 km and a southeast wind of 6 to 10 knots. The investigation confirmed that the Schroeder / fire balloons G, which had a volume of 7,000 m³, was registered for commercial use and had undergone its most recent annual inspection in March 2009. The investigation found no damage to the aircraft itself resulting from the collision with the roof.