PILOT HILL, CA, USA
N2484Z
Piccard AX6
DURING INFLATION OF THE BALLOON PRIOR TO FLT, THE PLT SAID HE NOTICED A 5 KT GUST OF WIND. PLT THEN SENT A SMALL BALLOON ALOFT TO TEST THE WIND AND SAID IT 'SHOWED A SLOWING OF THE WIND' AT 60 TO 80 FT AGL & ACCEPTABLE FLT CONDITIONS. AFTER LAUNCH THE WIND SHIFTED & BEGAN MOVING THE BALLOON TOWARD A HEAVILY FORESTED AREA DEVOID OF SAFE LANDING SITES. THE PLT ELECTED TO LAND IN A CLEARING WHEN IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT THE FLT PATH WOULD NOT CHANGE. THE PLT SAID HE ACTIVATED THE TEAR-OUT PANEL ABOUT 10 FT AGL & THE BALLOON BOUNCED, PARTIALLY EJECTING A PASSENGER. THE EJECTED PASSENGER WAS RESTRAINED BY ANOTHER PASSENGER & SUBSEQUENTLY DRAGGED ALONG THE GROUND WITH THE BALLOON BASKET. THE EJECTED PASSENGER SUSTAINED A FRACTURED RIB.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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