LTA BALLOON PLT HAD TO LAND TOO STEEPLY TO GET INTO THE FIELD. ON LNDG PAX LOST HIS BAL AND FELL ON HIS WIFE; INJURING HER ANKLE.

Date: 1998-08 · Aircraft: Balloon

Anomalies: conflict-ground-conflict|less-severe|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence|other-unspecified

Synopsis

LTA BALLOON PLT HAD TO LAND TOO STEEPLY TO GET INTO THE FIELD. ON LNDG PAX LOST HIS BAL AND FELL ON HIS WIFE; INJURING HER ANKLE.

Narrative

3 PLTS ARRIVED AT THE LAUNCH FIELD TO FLY A PARTY OF 7 PEOPLE. THE WX AT THE FIELD WAS OK; BUT NOT PERFECT AS THE WINDS WERE SHIFTING; MAKING THE BALLOON ROLL SIDE-TO- SIDE. THE FIRST BALLOON INFLATED AND WAS WAITING FOR THE OTHER 2 TO INFLATE. I WAS WAITING FOR THE WIND TO CALM DOWN A LITTLE TO MAKE THE INFLATION EASIER. THE SECOND BALLOON INFLATED; BUT WAS AT THE END OF HER SAFETY ROPE AND WAS UNABLE TO TILT THE BURNER TO PUT HEAT IN THE ENVELOPE; SO SHE TOOK IT DOWN TO START OVER. I WAS STILL WAITING. SHE INFLATED A SECOND TIME AND DID NOT HAVE ANY TROUBLE. I THEN INFLATED MY BALLOON WITH LITTLE TROUBLE. I TOOK OFF FIRST AND WENT TO ABOUT 800 FT. AFTER ABOUT 1/2 HR I STARTED LOOKING FOR A SPOT TO LAND. AHEAD OF ME WAS A LARGE FIELD AT THE TELEPHONE FACILITY; WHICH YOU CAN SEE FROM A LONG DISTANCE AWAY; BUT AS I GOT CLOSER THE WIND SHIFTED TO THE SE TOWARD MUCH SMALLER FIELDS. I TRIED TO ADJUST MY ALT TO GET TO A LARGER FIELD BUT IT DID NOT WORK OUT; SO I SET UP FOR MY SECOND CHOICE. I STARTED TO STAIRSTEP DOWN TO LAND BUT HAD TO COME IN A LITTLE STEEP TO GET INTO THIS SMALL FIELD. I DID NOT WANT TO GO PAST THIS FIELD; AS THE OTHERS AVAILABLE WOULD BE EVEN SMALLER; AND I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO OVERFLY THE SMALL FIELDS TO THE LARGER ONE BEYOND. SUNSET WOULD BE IN 15 MINS AND I WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME. AS I LANDED; MY PAX LOST HIS BAL AND LANDED ON HIS WIFE; INJURING HER LEG. LOOKING BACK; MAYBE A LITTLE PEER PRESSURE TOOK PLACE AS IF ONE BALLOON DIDN'T GO; NONE WOULD SINCE ALL THE PEOPLE WERE FROM ONE PARTY. BUT I DID GO SO MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE LANDED EARLIER IN A LARGER FIELD OR I SHOULD HAVE LEFT EARLIER TO GIVE ME MORE TIME TO FIND A LARGER FIELD; OR MAYBE REQUIRING PAX TO FLY WITH HIGHTOP SNEAKERS OR HIKING BOOTS TO GIVE SUPPORT TO THE ANKLE; AS THIS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED INJURY TO HER ANKLE.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.