What happened
On March 23, 2000, an Ultramagic M-120 hot air balloon, registration OH-SEX, was being prepared for flight on the sea ice in Kemi, Finland. The crew was preparing for a flight as part of a local balloon gathering. During the inflation process, a sudden and powerful wind gust struck the balloon, causing it to shift unexpectedly. To prevent ground crew members from being pulled out of the basket, the pilot ordered them to let go.
The force of the wind caused the balloon to pull against its anchor, a light passenger car. The tension was so great that the car was dragged toward a nearby pier, at which point the anchoring rope struck the metal edge of a fueling shed roof and snapped. The balloon, which was not yet sufficiently heated for controlled flight, drifted into the city.
During its uncontrolled flight, the balloon struck the chimney of a jewelry gallery, causing the pilot to lose consciousness. The basket then hit the eaves of a warehouse, causing the pilot to fall approximately three meters to the ground. The balloon continued to drift for another 240 meters before finally striking the wall of a swimming hall. The impact caused severe damage to the basket and burner, and the balloon envelope was torn beyond repair. The pilot sustained serious injuries, including a dislocated shoulder, pelvic fractures, and leg fractures.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance history, the pilot's experience, and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. Investigators reviewed the inflation procedures, the suitability of the anchoring method, and the weather forecasts provided to the crew. The investigation also looked into the suitability of the aircraft type for the specific club operations being conducted.
Findings
- The pilot lacked sufficient experience in handling a large-scale balloon of this specific type.
- The chosen anchor, a light passenger car, was insufficiently heavy to secure a balloon of this size against sudden wind gusts.
- The balloon's basket and burner were new, and this was the first time the larger basket had been used in the club's operations.
- While the pilot had obtained weather information, the sudden change in wind direction and intensity was not adequately managed due to the lack of experience with large-scale balloon anchoring.
Safety action
- The Finnish Air League was advised to investigate whether flight experience recommendations should be implemented for different balloon sizes and if anchoring instructions should be expanded in pilot training programs.
- It was recommended that customer flights conducted with a company's own balloon should be treated similarly to commercial operations.