Head AX9-118

Full Narrative

On August 9, 2019, at 0845 Pacific daylight time, a Head AX9-118 hot air balloon, N2027S, was involved in an accident near Galt, California. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. The balloon was operated by Skydancer Balloon Company as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 sightseeing flight.
The pilot reported that he was part of a group of tethered balloons that was providing early morning rides to participants of the Galt Balloon Festival. His balloon was tethered at three points to three vehicles. Around 0830, he and two other tethered balloonists noted that the wind was starting to pick up and they decided to stop the flights. The other balloonists were able to deflate their balloons, and he was in the process of deflating when the balloon was picked up by a vertical wind, which caused it to ascend rapidly. The ground crew let go of the ropes, and the balloon ascended to the end of the tethers. One of the eye bolt attachments from the basket to the rope broke, allowing the rope to come loose, followed by the failure of a second eye bolt attachment, which allowed a second rope to come loose. At that point, the ground crew was attempting to hold the third rope when the pilot told them to cut it loose.
The pilot applied the burner to heat the envelope and rise above powerlines; however, as the crew cut the remaining rope, the basket twisted, which closed the throat of the envelope. The balloon continued toward a nearby open field, where the pilot chose to land. The pilot stated that, with the envelope only partially inflated, the descent was fast and the balloon landed hard. He turned off the burners and the balloon envelope deflated onto its side.