Balloon on descent to land hits car.

Attributes
ACN	155764
Time
Date	199009
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cos
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 20
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 1207 flight time type : 21
ASRS Report	155076
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During the landing phase I was crossing a highway 20' AGL as the landing site south of the highway was at the bottom of the hill. I crossed the 2 westbound lanes in level flight. After crossing the median and starting across the eastbound lanes, I experience a loss of lift and altitude and hit the side of air carrier whose driver had stopped to allow the passenger to take pictures of the hot air balloons. The loss of altitude was so sudden I was unable to take corrective action. I had expected the heat rising off the roadway to give thermal lift to the balloon, though I was not counting on it and was not allowing the internal lifting heat to get too low. I had added heat just prior to starting across the roadway. The balloon was traveling about 6 mph. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states driver of car attempted to push basket away. No injuries occurred. Reporter had planned to deplane passenger and take up another group. He was so shaky and upset that he and crew deflated balloon and called it a day. Reporter contacted NTSB who said not an accident so not interested. Contacted both highway patrol and city police; not interested since no one was in the car at the time. Reporter returned to area and noted that highway signs indicating hills and curve ahead were only about 2' above ground. Feels that may have been part of his problem as he used them to judge height along with altimeter and expected them to be normal height.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BALLOON ON DESCENT TO LAND HITS CAR.

Narrative: DURING THE LNDG PHASE I WAS XING A HWY 20' AGL AS THE LNDG SITE S OF THE HWY WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL. I CROSSED THE 2 WBND LANES IN LEVEL FLT. AFTER XING THE MEDIAN AND STARTING ACROSS THE EBND LANES, I EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF LIFT AND ALT AND HIT THE SIDE OF ACR WHOSE DRIVER HAD STOPPED TO ALLOW THE PAX TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE HOT AIR BALLOONS. THE LOSS OF ALT WAS SO SUDDEN I WAS UNABLE TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION. I HAD EXPECTED THE HEAT RISING OFF THE ROADWAY TO GIVE THERMAL LIFT TO THE BALLOON, THOUGH I WAS NOT COUNTING ON IT AND WAS NOT ALLOWING THE INTERNAL LIFTING HEAT TO GET TOO LOW. I HAD ADDED HEAT JUST PRIOR TO STARTING ACROSS THE ROADWAY. THE BALLOON WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 6 MPH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES DRIVER OF CAR ATTEMPTED TO PUSH BASKET AWAY. NO INJURIES OCCURRED. RPTR HAD PLANNED TO DEPLANE PAX AND TAKE UP ANOTHER GROUP. HE WAS SO SHAKY AND UPSET THAT HE AND CREW DEFLATED BALLOON AND CALLED IT A DAY. RPTR CONTACTED NTSB WHO SAID NOT AN ACCIDENT SO NOT INTERESTED. CONTACTED BOTH HWY PATROL AND CITY POLICE; NOT INTERESTED SINCE NO ONE WAS IN THE CAR AT THE TIME. RPTR RETURNED TO AREA AND NOTED THAT HWY SIGNS INDICATING HILLS AND CURVE AHEAD WERE ONLY ABOUT 2' ABOVE GND. FEELS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN PART OF HIS PROB AS HE USED THEM TO JUDGE HEIGHT ALONG WITH ALTIMETER AND EXPECTED THEM TO BE NORMAL HEIGHT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.