Otago hot air balloon crash: Last injured passenger discharged from hospital

The balloon before it crashed. Photo / Sonja McCord

The last person still in hospital following a hot-air balloon crash near Queenstown has been discharged.

There were 11 people on board the hot-air balloon when it crashed while attempting to land at a private airstrip in Morven Ferry Rd, near Arrowtown, on Friday morning.

Two people with serious injuries were airlifted to Dunedin Hospital, while others with lesser injuries were taken to Queenstown's Lakes District Hospital by ambulance.

One person was discharged from Dunedin Hospital last week after spending four nights there.

A Southern DHB spokesperson says the one remaining patient has been discharged.

Passengers on board the flight described an unexpected gust of wind causing the balloon to freefall during its descent.

After the pilot and two passengers were thrown from the balloon due to the force of the initial impact, the remaining passengers in the basket were dragged about 300m through a paddock before coming to a stop.

Both the Civil Aviation Authority and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission have launched investigations into the incident.