Hot-air balloon accident in Großdobritz

Incident Overview and Location On 21 June 2024, a commercial hot-air balloon operated by a German company experienced an accident near Großdobritz. The aircraft was a Theo Schroeder fire balloons G 42/24, with no registration number provided in the source. The incident resulted in two passengers being seriously injured and three passengers being lightly injured. The balloon itself sustained minor damage, and no third-party damage was reported. ## Flight and Landing Sequence The balloon pilot and six passengers met at the agreed launch site in Dresden-Neustadt. Passengers received pre-flight and landing instructions, including how to hold onto the designated loops and maintain a proper body posture. The pilot repeated these instructions during landing preparation. The passengers were positioned in the basket according to their size and weight, with larger passengers in front. The launch took place at 05:42 local time. After a calm flight of approximately 50 minutes, the pilot descended from about 1,300 ft AMSL to 900–700 ft AMSL over forest and farmland. The drift speed decreased from about 12 kt to 7–3 kt. Around 06:45, the pilot observed another balloon landing and decided to land nearby on a meadow southwest of Großdobritz. At approximately 06:55, the pilot lowered the balloon to about 1 m above the ground over a wheat field in front of the planned landing meadow. The initial drift speed was 7 kt. Over a distance of about 60 m, the pilot kept the basket close to the ground and pulled the parachute when crossing an asphalt path. The balloon touched down on the meadow about 4 m after passing the path. The pilot then pulled the quick-deflation line but did not fully open it, assuming the balloon would come to a stop with the envelope upright. However, the balloon did not stop, possibly due to a wind gust or higher wind speed than expected, so the pilot fully opened the quick deflation. Despite the fully opened quick deflation, the balloon did not stop. On the sloping meadow terrain, the basket overturned and slid across the ground. A passenger reported falling forward when the basket tipped and holding onto metal, at which moment a flame jet entered the basket interior. The passengers climbed out of the basket during the sliding phase. Two passengers attempted to stop the balloon by holding onto the outside of the basket and resisting its movement, as they saw another passenger entangled in a line and being dragged, with his jacket on fire. The balloon came to a stop after a few meters. The pilot recorded the landing time as 06:56 local time. ## Pilot and Aircraft Details The 68-year-old balloon pilot held an EU balloon pilot license under Part-FCL, issued on 18 June 2018 and last renewed on 27 May 2019, with unlimited validity. His license included ratings for hot-air balloons Group A and Group B2, and commercial operations. His Class 2 medical certificate, issued on 24 May 2024, was valid until 24 May 2025, with a restriction for wearing glasses. According to his personal logbook, he had completed 399 flights, with a total of 530 hours and 456 landings. In the last 90 days, he had conducted 21 flights as the responsible balloon pilot. The hot-air balloon was approved for traffic in Germany and operated by a commercial company. The envelope was manufactured by Theo Schroeder fire balloons, model fire balloons G 42/24, serial number 1808, built in 2020, with 208 hours of operating time. The envelope had a volume of 4,250 m³ and was made of 24 panels of nylon fabric with a polyurethane coating on the inside. The lower part of the envelope and the wind cloth were made of heat-resistant Nomex fabric. The envelope was equipped with the Paraquick quick-deflation system, which had two functions: quick deflation of hot air through a large ring-shaped opening, suitable for fast landings, and a parachute function for controlled release of hot air during flight and landings with little ground wind. The envelope also had two counter-rotating twist valves. The burner was an Ultramagic MK 21 double burner, serial numbers 196 and 197, built in 2004. The manufacturer described the burner as a device for converting liquid propane fuel into heat energy. Fuel was supplied through flexible hoses to a machined valve block, and fuel flow was controlled by an on/off valve called the blast or main valve. The flight manual stated that the pilot lights should be extinguished and all cylinder valves closed before landing. The basket was an Ultramagic C-6, with two compartments, for the balloon pilot plus six passengers, serial number 56, built in 2003. The manufacturer described the basket as made from woven willow and cane on a marine plywood base, with various openings for step holes and strap holes for cylinders. The basket was connected to the load frame by at least four stainless steel cables. The balloon was equipped with a KRT2 VHF transceiver by Air Plus and a FlyTec 30409 combination instrument by Fly Tec. The last airworthiness inspection was on 21 May 2024, with an operating time of 181 hours. A valid ARC and release certificate were present. According to the load calculation for the flight, the takeoff mass was 1,119 kg, with a maximum allowable takeoff mass of 1,211 kg, based on an air temperature of 17 °C at the time of launch. ## Meteorological Information The BFU commissioned the DWD to produce an official meteorological report on the weather conditions on 21 June 2024 at approximately 05:00 UTC in the area of the landing site southwest of Großdobritz. The pilot had accessed weather data on 20 June 2024 between 22:40 and 22:43 UTC and on 21 June 2024 between 01:53 and 01:57 UTC. The first access included nine different forecast maps for ground wind, some with gust information, and four for high-level wind from the ICON-D2 model, mostly from the 18 UTC run for the early morning of the following day. The GAFOR regional forecast for balloon pilots for area 26 (Upper Lusatia and Lusatian Mountains) was also accessed, showing forecasts for 20 and 21 June 2024. The 'Dresden' meteogram from the 12 UTC model run was selected and displayed. The second access included the same 'Dresden' meteogram as the previous day, followed by eight different ICON-D2 forecast maps for ground wind, with and without gust display, from the 00 UTC run for the early morning. The pilot stated that he had taken the following data from the weather forecasts: wind in the flight area less than 10 km/h (5 kt) and wind gusts less than 20 km/h (11 kt), air temperature at launch 17 °C. The air temperature was 16 °C at 03:30 UTC in the city and at the airport of Dresden, while 13 °C was measured at the Klipphausen-Garsebach station in the Triebisch valley near Meißen. By 05:00 UTC, temperatures in Dresden had risen to 18–20 °C and in the Triebisch valley near Meißen to 16 °C. Between 03:30 and 04:00 UTC, a small cloud field was over Dresden and Meißen, with its base measured at 12,300–12,400 ft AGL at Dresden Airport. The surrounding area was clear or only lightly clouded. The cloud field then moved east-northeast and gradually dissipated, leaving only light high cirrus cloud in the Dresden and Meißen area. The average ground wind speed at the time of the accident in the area of the accident site was 7 kt. The DWD report also addressed whether there could have been special weather phenomena that influenced the flight or landing, such as cold-air pools, which can form in hilly terrain. The expert assessment concluded that at the time, there was either a pure ground inversion or a slightly elevated inversion in the landing area, meaning that colder air lay over the ground than in the air above.