After soaring high, Fossett lands hard

When it finally came to a halt after five km, a bruised Fossett crawled from the tangled mess, his mouth bleeding from a slight cut, to be greeted by some Australian outback cattle ranchers. ‘‘I was concerned about not deflating the balloon and being dragged forever and looking like a hamburger by the afternoon,’’ Fosset said.

Fossett said he planned no more long-distance balloon trips — though he does plan to try to fly a glider near the edge of space. ‘‘I think the balloon flights have been the most dangerous thing I have ever been involved in,’’ Fossett said.

He crossed the finish line of his record-breaking flight at 1340 GMT on Tuesday when he passed 117 degrees east longitude over the Southern Ocean, the same longitude he began his trip from in Australia. He had flown nearly 31,380 km around the southern hemisphere.

After 14 days of flying, Fossett’s balloon finally came down at around 2130 GMT on one of Australia’s biggest cattle properties, the two-million-acre Durham Downs, some 300 km south-east of the outback town of Birdsville. Fossett said he braced himself against the side of the gondola for impact, but then was unable to deflate the balloon, leaving him helpless inside the rolling capsule.

With the wind blowing at 20 knots, Fossett’s rip cord which deflates the balloon’s envelope was stuck, leaving the 58-year-old millionaire adventurer unable to stop. As he rolled along his ground crew struggled to grab hold of the rip cord, eventually managing to free it. (Reuters)