Broken ankle, Theo Schroeder Fire Balloons GmbH Fire Balloons G, PH-XDR, Bergeijk
The hot-air balloon, with a pilot and four passengers on board, had a landing planned for a field near Bergeijk. Before the flight, the pilot explained and demonstrated the landing position to the passengers. The instruction included standing with one's back to the direction of flight during landing. All the passengers adopted the position that had been explained to them when the balloonist asked them to do so just before landing. Although, there was nothing unusual about the landing, one of the passengers broke his ankle when the basket touched the ground. The moment of landing came unexpectedly for the injured person, as he was standing with his back to the direction of flight.
More information can be found in the Quarterly Aviation Report Q1 2025.
