AAIB investigation to LBL 90A, G-JEMI
LBL 90A (G-JEMI), heavy landing, Forncett End, Norfolk, 10 August 2024
The pilot reported making an approach into a “large field” where several other balloons had already landed. During the initial stage of the approach, they saw a horse in a field below them and elected to delay their descent until they had passed it. They then commenced a steep approach into the target field. When the pilot attempted to reduce the descent rate using one of the balloon’s burners, they thought it “sounded different,” ie not firing correctly, so fired the other burner instead. While the second burner worked normally, the need to switch burners reduced the time available to slow the descent rate and the pilot was not able to arrest it sufficiently before touchdown. This resulted in a heavy landing, during which a passenger suffered a broken collarbone after banging their shoulder against one of the gas canisters. The pilot reported that the passenger was an experienced flyer who was seated in “the correct landing position” before touchdown and that they have since made a full recovery.
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