Narrative:

Morning key grab flight into the main event field. I was slowly descending to the target while shifting to the right by the winds at 100 ft AGL. The other balloon involved came from my left being blown towards me by the surface winds. We contacted each other approximately 100 ft AGL. My basket contacting the other balloon slightly above the equator. My basket dented into the balloon envelope and back out and we drifted apart. Any action on my part to add heat and ascend just prior to this collision would have put me into a rapid ascent and jeopardized any balloons above me. For both pilots to keep their balloons stable and bounce apart was the least dangerous and most sensible thing to do. No damage was done to either balloon and no injuries to pilots.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 HOT AIR BALLOON PLTS COMPETING IN A KEY GRAB FROM A FIXED POINT IN THE MAIN ARENA COLLIDED WITH EACH OTHER BRIEFLY AS THEY JOCKEYED FOR POS FOR THE GRAB.

Narrative: MORNING KEY GRAB FLT INTO THE MAIN EVENT FIELD. I WAS SLOWLY DSNDING TO THE TARGET WHILE SHIFTING TO THE R BY THE WINDS AT 100 FT AGL. THE OTHER BALLOON INVOLVED CAME FROM MY L BEING BLOWN TOWARDS ME BY THE SURFACE WINDS. WE CONTACTED EACH OTHER APPROX 100 FT AGL. MY BASKET CONTACTING THE OTHER BALLOON SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE EQUATOR. MY BASKET DENTED INTO THE BALLOON ENVELOPE AND BACK OUT AND WE DRIFTED APART. ANY ACTION ON MY PART TO ADD HEAT AND ASCEND JUST PRIOR TO THIS COLLISION WOULD HAVE PUT ME INTO A RAPID ASCENT AND JEOPARDIZED ANY BALLOONS ABOVE ME. FOR BOTH PLTS TO KEEP THEIR BALLOONS STABLE AND BOUNCE APART WAS THE LEAST DANGEROUS AND MOST SENSIBLE THING TO DO. NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO EITHER BALLOON AND NO INJURIES TO PLTS.

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.