Accident Overview
On 7 August 2008, a Cameron A-300 hot air balloon, registration G-SNIF, was conducting a commercial passenger flight near Croxton, Staffordshire. The flight had been uneventful until the landing phase.
Flight and Briefing
Before the flight, the pilot briefed all passengers on the correct takeoff and landing positions, including a visual demonstration in the basket. Five passengers did not speak English, so the pilot ensured that their group leader, an English speaker, checked that they understood the briefing. About 10 minutes before landing, the passengers practiced the landing position.
Landing Sequence
As the pilot prepared to land in a field of stubble, he instructed passengers to adopt the landing position. He normally has a ‘cursory glance’ of the passengers to check their position but does not remember if he did so on this occasion. The balloon touched down firmly at approximately 8 knots groundspeed, then bounced twice before coming to rest on its side.
Injuries and Aftermath
After the balloon came to rest, the pilot noticed a female passenger in a compartment of three appeared injured. She was lifted from the basket, and her leg was examined by the pilot and a nurse who was also on board. The nurse could not determine if her leg was broken but advised an x-ray as a precaution. The injured passenger was taken back to her car at the launch site, and her husband drove her to hospital, where doctors discovered a fracture to her left knee and tissue damage to her right leg.
Passenger Account
The injured passenger stated that one of the foreign passengers in her compartment failed to adopt the correct landing position, holding onto the rope with only one hand. The injured passenger believed this caused the other passenger to fall onto her, making her lose her balance.
Safety Recommendations
The report notes a similar accident involving balloon G-CDDC. In response to a study of landing accidents, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch made two safety recommendations regarding the use of dense foam seating blocks and additional padding in balloon baskets certified for public transport flights to reduce the effect of impact with the basket structure.
Aircraft and Crew Information
The balloon was a Cameron A-300, manufactured in 2005, with no engines. The pilot held a Commercial Pilot’s Licence, was 43 years old, and had 2,064 total flying hours, with 1,800 on type. There were 14 passengers and one crew on board. The pilot reported no damage to the balloon.