AAIB investigation to Cameron A-400 hot air balloon, G-VBAJ
Passenger fell from basket during disembarkation, Hargham Hall, Attleborough, Norfolk, 12 May 2019.
Summary:
The balloon made a gentle landing with the balloon and basket upright. The commander asked four passengers to exit the basket and help the ground crew hold the crown line to ensure a positive deflation. Passenger assistance for the deflation was not essential on this occasion but was offered to the passengers as part of the ballooning experience.
Alighting from the basket in the upright position required passengers to put one leg over the side and climb down steps inset in the side of the basket. One of the passengers placed his left foot in the top step but could not locate the bottom step with his other foot. He attempted to alight by placing his right foot straight down to the floor but fell. He was wearing a large boot and his left foot was stuck in the top step when he fell, resulting in a serious injury.
Prior to this the passenger had felt comfortable to exit the balloon unaided and to assist with the ground tasks. Following the accident, the operator has changed procedure to enable ground crew to assist all passengers with disembarkation.
The British Association of Balloon Operators commented that passenger assistance is sometimes requested by the operating pilot, due to the conditions or the ground crew being unable to access the landing site in time. However, they would generally expect that commercial operators would limit passenger involvement to times when it is necessary.
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