Stall likely cause of balloon death - report

A hot air balloon crash which killed a 25-year-old pilot was probably caused when a vent could not reseal during a rapid climb and the balloon collapsed, investigators said.

Peter Gregory, from Cirencester, Gloucestershire, died when his balloon fell to the ground in Ombersley, Worcestershire, on 25 June.

Mr Gregory, known as "Pilot Pete", had previously competed in piloting competitions and won the Junior World Balloon Championships for Britain.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said it had made safety recommendations to the British Ballooning and Airship Club (BBAC) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) after its inquiry.

At the time of the crash, Mr Gregory was taking part in a competition in which pilots were required to drop a marker as close as possible to a target.

The AAIB said his balloon's envelope collapsed as it was climbing rapidly away from this target and the basket underneath dropped to the ground.

His balloon was likely to have suffered a parachute stall, with its design, the weather conditions and the rapid climb all likely to have contributed, they added.

Such a stall happened when the parachute vent, at the top of the balloon, was unable to reseal and the balloon's envelope collapsed, the report said.

Mr Gregory died at the scene and in a tribute after his death, his family said he died doing what he loved.

"Be it in a hot air balloon or as an airline pilot, Peter's passion for flying was something his family and friends could only admire and support him towards," they said.

The AAIB's recommendations to the BBAC included issuing guidance on preventing and recovering from unsafe conditions such as a parachute stall and around jettisoning fuel tanks during an emergency.

They also recommended the CAA published guidance on the design, testing and inspection of amateur balloons which related to unsafe conditions such as parachute stalls and competition flying.

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