A student pilot flying a hot air balloon was left with a broken leg after he hit a wire fence. 

The pilot was attempting to land in a car park at Snetterton Circuit when the incident happened.

According to a report from the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), after a short flight on August 14, the instructor - who was accompanying the student - selected a landing site.

But during the descent, the student noticed two obstacles so the east car park at Snetterton Circuit - consisting of a grassed area with a low wire fence - was selected as a safer alternative.

The student then "fitted his pilot restraint and moved to the back of the basket and controlled the descent".

He also briefed the passenger and instructor to attain landing positions and stowed loose items.

The report then writes: "At about 10ft above ground level he noticed the balloon was gaining speed whilst descending but by this point he was committed to landing, so decided to use the fence to slow and stop the balloon."

This jolted the student pilot forward and he caught and twisted his foot in a restraint anchor point on the floor of the basket.

The report states that he immediately realised that he had broken his leg.

The instructor and passenger were uninjured in the incident.

In the instructor's comments, the report adds that "with hindsight" he believed that the use of the rip line as they crossed the fence, rather than before, would have brought the balloon to a stop to land safely just beyond the fence.

He also considered that using a wire fence to stop the balloon was likely to cause damage to property, the balloon and the basket with an increased risk of injury to the occupants.

The instructor also observed that the student could have positioned his foot away from the anchor point fitting in the basket.

In the future, he said he will advise occupants in the balloon to ensure their feet are clear of fixtures and fittings on the basket floor when bracing for landing.