What happened
On 1 August 1999, a Cameron A-210 balloon, registration G-BUYH, was conducting a public transport flight when the pilot elected to land at the base of a steep, grass-covered field near Bickleigh, Devon. At the time of the landing, weather conditions were stable with good visibility and light winds.
The aircraft touched down up-slope at a speed of approximately 3 to 4 knots. Following the touchdown, the basket slid roughly 10 yards down the slope, coming to a halt 10 feet away from a fence. The pilot proceeded to deflate the envelope, which stayed positioned up-slope, while the passengers remained inside the upright basket.
As the disembarkation process began, several passengers exited the basket individually. However, the deflated envelope subsequently blew down-slope, covering both the burner and the basket and coming to rest against the fence. This movement blocked the up-slope exit for the remaining occupants. While the passengers already outside attempted to keep the envelope away from the fence and nearby brambles, the remaining passengers were forced to exit via the down-slope side. During this maneuver, the basket tipped over down the slope, causing injuries to the occupants.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The inquiry examined the sequence of events following the landing, specifically focusing on the movement of the envelope and the subsequent instability of the basket during the evacuation of the remaining passengers.