What happened
On June 21, 2024, a commercial hot air balloon flight near Großdobritz, Germany, resulted in an accident during landing. The aircraft, a Theo Schroeder fire balloons G 42/24, was performing a landing on a meadow in sloping terrain. The pilot had observed another balloon had already landed successfully nearby and chose a similar site.
As the balloon approached the landing site at a drift speed of approximately 7 knots, the pilot partially deployed the rapid deflation system but did not fully open it, assuming the balloon would come to a halt with the envelope upright. However, the balloon did not stop. The basket eventually made contact with the ground and began to skid approximately 100 meters down the slope. During this sliding phase, the basket tilted forward, causing the burners to point into the interior of the basket.
As the basket overturned, a passenger, attempting to hold onto a metal part of the structure, accidentally pressed the main valve lever of one of the burners. This triggered a large flame into the passenger compartment. Fearing burns, the passengers climbed out of the moving basket while it was still sliding. The incident resulted in 2 passengers seriously injured and 3 passengers lightly injured.
The investigation
The BFU examined the aircraft, the meteorological conditions, and the pilot's procedures. The investigation confirmed that the balloon was in good maintenance condition and the pilot held a valid commercial license. Meteorological data indicated a temperature inversion was present, which could have caused a sudden drop in the balloon's altitude. The investigation also reviewed the company's flight operations manual, noting that the pilot had properly briefed passengers on safety procedures prior to the flight.