Hot air balloon on approach to land hits power lines.

Attributes
ACN	203764
Time
Date	199203
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : trm
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 10
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 8 flight time total : 292 flight time type : 8
ASRS Report	203764
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

End of commercial scenic flight. Picked what appeared to be an open clear field about 20 acre square, house or building in center with crops in northeast corner with high grass in northwest corner. Planned to drop into grass area and skim above to catch wind to bring me to the center (north/south but to the west side) of the field. Everything appeared clear with 1 balloon already in the area that I picked to terminate the flight. As I started to brief the passenger for landing, while on a gradual descent, one of them asked 'are those power lines?' a quick glance showed what had previously been camouflaged by the dark green grass and date palms in the distance. I immediately vented but with the forward momentum and the shape of the balloon it caused 2 of the power lines to arc and one of them severed. Working clear of the wires we deflated the balloon. No injuries resulted from the arching, and no structural damage to the balloon system occurred. Line repair crew was called to the scene to restring the downed power line. Cause was inability to see power lines against dark backgnd with long low span between poles. I would like to suggest that the FAA provide funding for development of a power line detection system to help identify when in close proximity of those 'invisible' power lines.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON ON APCH TO LAND HITS PWR LINES.

Narrative: END OF COMMERCIAL SCENIC FLT. PICKED WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN OPEN CLR FIELD ABOUT 20 ACRE SQUARE, HOUSE OR BUILDING IN CTR WITH CROPS IN NE CORNER WITH HIGH GRASS IN NW CORNER. PLANNED TO DROP INTO GRASS AREA AND SKIM ABOVE TO CATCH WIND TO BRING ME TO THE CTR (N/S BUT TO THE W SIDE) OF THE FIELD. EVERYTHING APPEARED CLR WITH 1 BALLOON ALREADY IN THE AREA THAT I PICKED TO TERMINATE THE FLT. AS I STARTED TO BRIEF THE PAX FOR LNDG, WHILE ON A GRADUAL DSCNT, ONE OF THEM ASKED 'ARE THOSE PWR LINES?' A QUICK GLANCE SHOWED WHAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN CAMOUFLAGED BY THE DARK GREEN GRASS AND DATE PALMS IN THE DISTANCE. I IMMEDIATELY VENTED BUT WITH THE FORWARD MOMENTUM AND THE SHAPE OF THE BALLOON IT CAUSED 2 OF THE PWR LINES TO ARC AND ONE OF THEM SEVERED. WORKING CLR OF THE WIRES WE DEFLATED THE BALLOON. NO INJURIES RESULTED FROM THE ARCHING, AND NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON SYS OCCURRED. LINE REPAIR CREW WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE TO RESTRING THE DOWNED PWR LINE. CAUSE WAS INABILITY TO SEE PWR LINES AGAINST DARK BACKGND WITH LONG LOW SPAN BTWN POLES. I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT THE FAA PROVIDE FUNDING FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A PWR LINE DETECTION SYS TO HELP IDENT WHEN IN CLOSE PROX OF THOSE 'INVISIBLE' PWR LINES.

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.