The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has emphasised the importance of good decision-making following a hot air balloon collision near Alice Springs last year.
The collision could have been disastrous, but clever decision-making is said to have saved lives after one pilot misjudged his flight path.
On July 18, two hot air balloons carrying 35 people took off near Alice Springs. About 15 minutes into the journey, one pilot decided to descend in order to slow his balloon down, but incorrectly judged the positioning and speed of the other balloon.
The pilot made a radio broadcast of his movements but did not confirm whether the other pilot had received and understood his message.
While descending, he realised the other balloon was flying lower and more slowly than he had initially assessed, and recognised that a collision was unavoidable. If the basket collided with the other balloon, it could tear the balloon and have catastrophic outcomes. So instead, they navigated so just the balloons bumped, at a slow speed.
"Fortunately there was no damage, and more importantly there were no injuries", ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said.
Both balloons continued on their flights, with no further issues.
While it was a positive outcome, the ATSB said the incident "highlights the importance of evaluating all available options to support good decision-making".
It said there could have been a much more dramatic outcome from the incident.
"Fortunately, in this case, the pilot of the smaller balloon recognised a collision was likely, and managed the descent so that a basket-to-envelope collision did not occur," Mr Mitchell said.
Idyllic flights do not come without risk
There have been two serious hot air balloon incidents near Alice Springs in recent history.
In 1989, two balloons collided near Alice Springs, causing one to crash to the ground, killing 13 people.
And in 2013, Sydney woman Stephanie Bernoth, 35, died when her scarf got sucked into the inflation fan while boarding a balloon in the outback town.
There has been a steady increase in the number of commercial balloons, along with the number of passengers they carry.
Mr Mitchell said the latest accident emphasised the importance of pilots refamiliarising themselves with safety protocols.
"You cannot improvise a good decision, you must prepare for it," he said in a statement issued by the ATSB.
"You will make a better and timelier final decision if you have considered all options in advance."
