Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On July 2, 2015, at 0704 mountain daylight time, a Balony Kubicek Spol Sro BB60Z ride balloon, N210GB, experienced a high-wind landing on a Fort Carson duded artillery range, near Fort Carson, Colorado. Two passengers sustained serious injuries. The pilot and five remaining passengers received minor injuries. The balloon was not damaged. The balloon was registered to the pilot and operated by High but Dry Balloons as a 14 CFR Part 91 air tour business flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight that originated from Colorado Springs, Colorado, at 0605.

Before the flight, the pilot checked the weather at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS), and the National Weather Service in Pueblo, Colorado. COS reported the surface wind was 070-degrees at 7 mph. The National Weather Service told the pilot that a front that was north of Denver was expected to pass through Colorado Springs around noon. The pilot also attempted to contact Lockheed Martin Flight Service twice, but was unable to get through to them. About 15 minutes before taking off, the pilot released a pibal from the launch site. At first, the pibal drifted toward the west slowly. However, about 1,000 ft, it appeared to drift back toward the launch site. He noticed a slight breeze blowing in a tall treetop located on a rise south of the launch site. Before departure he rechecked the winds at COS, which were still 070 degrees at 7 mph.

The balloon lifted off at 0605 in calm wind conditions. As the flight continued, however, the balloon's speed began to increase rapidly. At 0627, and flying over the south entrance to COS, a crew chief for another balloon company called the pilot and told him that COS was now reporting wind at 18 mph, gusting to 26 mph and also discussed with the pilot what to expect for landing sites on Fort Carson. The pilot began looking for a place to land. As he was doing this, the wind continued to increase to 43 mph. The pilot located a large open field on Fort Carson to put the balloon down in. He set up for a high wind landing, descending to about 20 ft. agl, where he would pull out the [parachute] top of the envelope and make a steep, rapid descent to the ground. However, at 100 ft agl, the balloon encountered a drop in wind velocity from 43 to about 26 mph. This caused the balloon's descent to increase rapidly. The pilot engaged the burners fully, but was unable to arrest the rapid descent before impacting the ground hard. A male passenger was ejected from the basket, but was not injured. Two of the female passengers in the basket sustained serious injuries. The balloon lifted off again, ascending rapidly. The pilot regained control of the balloon, and flew to an open field where a controlled high wind landing was accomplished.

ON BOARD RECORDING DEVICES

--- Global Positioning Satellite Receiver ---

A handheld Garmin GPS 12 Global Positioning Satellite receiver was on board the balloon during the accident flight. It