PHOENIX --

Emergency crews rushed to the north Valley Monday evening after a hot air balloon made a hard landing.

The crew chief for Arizona Hot Air Balloons, Brad Schroder, said high winds were to blame -- that it looked like a nice afternoon when they took off, but then the winds kicked up unexpectedly about 10 minutes into the flight.

Schroder said the four people riding in the balloon, a family vacationing in Phoenix, were not seriously hurt; one child bumped her head exiting the balloon and was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

Schroder praised the pilot, Peggy Madison, for preventing more serious injuries. Madison was the only one with significant injuries. Schroder said she suffered a compound fracture to her leg, and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.

“She got knocked out of the basket and was underneath the basket, being drug underneath it while still trying to pull the rest of the vent line out to try to get the thing vented,” said Schroder.

Schroder said letting air out of the balloon is the best way for a pilot to control the balloon and keep it from dragging further on the ground once it touches down.

The FAA and NTSB are conducting routine investigations of the incident.

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