Rope across taxiway for hot air balloon gets entangled in propeller of taxiing aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	162148
Time
Date	199011
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : w83
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 3
ASRS Report	162148
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

While taxiing to runway 16 for takeoff. I saw hot air balloons being inflated on the left side of the taxiway the balloons were well clear of the taxiway. The people inflating the balloons had a 1/4' rope laying across the taxiway tied to a yellow sand bag in the grass on the right side. There was no one watching or signaling for aircraft on the taxiway. As I came up on the rope, the balloon rose up pulling the rope up in front of the aircraft. I pulled the power off and hit the brakes. The propeller caught the rope and rapped it around the crankshaft, putting a cut in the cowling. No one tried to signal us that there was a rope on the taxiway. No one was watching. No marker or flags were used. No notification that they (the balloonist) were blocking or using the taxiway. The rope laying on the asphalt was invisible. This operation contained even after we got my aircraft untied. They took off across the runway while other aircraft were landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ROPE ACROSS TXWY FOR HOT AIR BALLOON GETS ENTANGLED IN PROPELLER OF TAXIING ACFT.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING TO RWY 16 FOR TKOF. I SAW HOT AIR BALLOONS BEING INFLATED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TXWY THE BALLOONS WERE WELL CLR OF THE TXWY. THE PEOPLE INFLATING THE BALLOONS HAD A 1/4' ROPE LAYING ACROSS THE TXWY TIED TO A YELLOW SAND BAG IN THE GRASS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THERE WAS NO ONE WATCHING OR SIGNALING FOR ACFT ON THE TXWY. AS I CAME UP ON THE ROPE, THE BALLOON ROSE UP PULLING THE ROPE UP IN FRONT OF THE ACFT. I PULLED THE PWR OFF AND HIT THE BRAKES. THE PROP CAUGHT THE ROPE AND RAPPED IT AROUND THE CRANKSHAFT, PUTTING A CUT IN THE COWLING. NO ONE TRIED TO SIGNAL US THAT THERE WAS A ROPE ON THE TXWY. NO ONE WAS WATCHING. NO MARKER OR FLAGS WERE USED. NO NOTIFICATION THAT THEY (THE BALLOONIST) WERE BLOCKING OR USING THE TXWY. THE ROPE LAYING ON THE ASPHALT WAS INVISIBLE. THIS OPERATION CONTAINED EVEN AFTER WE GOT MY ACFT UNTIED. THEY TOOK OFF ACROSS THE RWY WHILE OTHER ACFT WERE LNDG.

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.