What happened
On November 12, 2022, at approximately 09:46 UTC, a commercial hot air balloon flight, operating a Schröder Fire Balloons G60/24, experienced a violent sequence of events near Kirchschlag, Austria. The flight, which began in Bad Fischau-Brunn with eight passengers on board, had been progressing normally until the pilot decided to initiate an early landing near the community of Untereck.
At the time of the landing attempt, the balloon was experiencing significant wind speeds from the northwest of up to 30 knots. As the aircraft approached the ground, the descent rate increased from -1.5 m/s to -4.5 m/s, while the ground speed reached approximately 22 knots. Upon the first contact with the ground, the high sink rate and forward velocity caused the basket to tilt violently. This impact resulted in the pilot and three passengers being ejected from the basket.
Following the initial impact, the basket dragged across a field for approximately 50 meters before lifting off again. During this uncontrolled phase, five passengers remained in the basket. One passenger attempted to operate the burner, while another contacted the pilot via mobile phone. The balloon continued to drift for about 1.8 km before a second impact occurred in a wooded area, marking the final position of the aircraft. The accident resulted in seven serious injuries and two minor injuries.
The investigation
The Austrian Federal Safety Investigation Board (SUB) reconstructed the flight path using eyewitness accounts, passenger statements, and GPS data from a variometer. The investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance records, the pilot's experience, and the prevailing meteorological conditions. Investigators also analyzed the physical state of the basket, the burner assembly, and the fuel system following the two ground contacts.