Accident at Wallenstein, Ontario

1996-08-06: When the balloon took off from New Dundee, Ontario, the wind was approximately 10 knots from the south. On landing, the pilot was conducting a steep descent into a small field. The descent rate was aggrevated by low-level wind shear and the balloon touched down hard. One female passenger fell out of the gondola which bounced back into the air. On the second bounce, the pilot fell out of the gondola and was dragged a short distance before the balloon was completely deflated. The female passenger and her husband were taken to hospital, examined and released. They later reported she had a compressed vertebrae and a fractured collar bone. From a TSB Initial Notification (#A96O0134).