A survivor of the Queenstown hot air balloon crash says he just hung on to the basket and tried not to get flung out.
The crash injured 11 people on Friday when the basket came to a bumpy landing in Arrowtown.
There were perfect winter skies for the Sunrise balloon's flight across the Lakes District, with photographer Rob Pine describing it as "magical".
"Queenstown in the wintertime. I think we got up to 7000, just glorious views."
But just before 10am the landing came with a warning.
"[The pilot] just said 'this is gonna be fast troops hang on and brace yourself' basically".
The balloon was closing in on a paddock - and an Arrowtown home.
"[We] hit the ground, had a bit of a bounce or two or three and during that obviously the basket falls over, a few people fell out and we came to stop just short of a house," Pine told Newshub.
The homeowners were unscathed but the 10 passengers and pilot sustained injuries, ranging from minor to serious.
Experienced balloon pilot Carrick McLellan sustained moderate injuries and is being treated at Lakes District Hospital.
The owners - Sunrise Balloons say they're deeply upset by the crash and are cooperating fully with investigators.
Pine says it was purely bad luck.
"He just got caught out today, from where I was everything that was happening was normal he had it totally under control but you know you suddenly get a bit of wind up your bum and things sped up and that's just what resulted in us hitting the ground harder than normal and tipping us over and spreading a few people over the paddock."
Pine says the crash won't put him off flying again.
"I'd fly with that guy any day, he's a consummate pilot, especially air balloons. The whole thing was just bad luck I suppose you can put it down to."
The morning flight that promised to make memories - doing just that.
" I have a few crazy days but yeah that one's memorable for sure," says Pine.
