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Four people were injured in balloon incident near York, investigators reveal

Tue 25 Jul

The hot air balloon G-ELMR in the sky above York. Photograph: YorkMix

Tue 25 Jul 2023  @ 11:51am
YorkMix
News

Four people were hurt at the end of a balloon flight over York, investigators have found.

And one of them suffered a serious head injury.

The details emerged after a team from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch looking into the incident issued a significant update.

YorkMix reported in February that the AAIB had issued a report into the heavy landing of hot air balloon G-ELMR.

After a flight over York on 13 September, the 58-year-old pilot began the descent, opting to land in a field at Deighton, south of York.

“The balloon touched down heavily, before bouncing and coming to rest in a ditch,” investigators said in the original report.

At the time of publication, the investigators said two people were hurt. One had a serious neck injury and one suffered a minor injury.

“After publication the AAIB became aware of further details of the injuries to passengers on the flight,” a the updated, issued last month, said.

Four people were injured instead of two. “One of the passengers sustained a serious head injury with others reporting neck and limb injuries,” states the amended report.

It also corrected some of its analysis. The report now reads: “Having realised that ground contact short of his planned field was unavoidable, the pilot gave the landing instructions to the passengers.

“The lateness of the instructions and the background noise of the burners may have meant the passengers did not hear the instructions clearly or in time.

“The balloon touched down heavily, before bouncing and coming to rest in a ditch. Four of the passengers were injured.”

And it concluded: “Four passengers on the flight were injured during the landing sequence, possibly due to being unable to adopt the correct landing position in time.”

YorkMix understands legal action is underway in connection with the incident.

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