Collision on ground involving a Thunder & Colt Balloons 69A, VH-HGB, Coomera Golf Course, Queensland, on 18 April 1995

The pilot intended to fly the balloon to Jacobs Well, due east of his take-off point at the Coomera Golf course. When the balloon rose to about 100 ft above ground level, he saw that extensive areas of fog covered the ground in the vicinity of Jacobs Well. He rejected the flight and landed back on the golf course in the middle of a fairway, only 70 m from his take-off point.

He called his ground crew assistant over to tow the balloon by a trailing rope to the edge of the fairway as he did not want to bring the recovery vehicle onto the fairway. His passenger had left the basket, but the ground crew member had difficulty moving the balloon. The pilot decided to swap places with her. The ground crew member operated the balloon's burners as required and the pilot towed the balloon to the side of the fairway. When the balloon touched trees, the gas was turned off at the tanks and the envelope deflated. As it did so, the basket rolled onto one side on sloping ground. The ground crew member struck her head on the burner controls lighting both burners for several seconds as the gas burnt out of the supply lines.

The ground crew member received burns to the upper part of her body, including inhalation damage to her oesophagus. The pilot received minor burns.