| Crash location | 37.943333°N, 103.513611°W |
| Nearest city | La Junta, CO
37.985009°N, 103.543832°W 3.3 miles away |
| Tail number | N2097H |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 31 Jan 2009 |
| Aircraft type | Cameron Balloons Us V-90 |
| Additional details: | None |
While landing a hot air balloon, the pilot encountered surface winds estimated at 22 mph and gusting to 28 mph. At 20 to 25 feet above ground level, the pilot shut off the burner and prepared for the landing. The hot air balloon descended 400 to 450 feet per minute, impacted hard on downward sloping terrain, and was dragged approximately 360 feet by the wind before coming to rest. The pilot suffered two broken ankles. There were no reported pre-impact anomalies.
The pilot's failure to maintain a safe rate of descent during landing. Contributing to the accident was the strong surface winds.