Narrative:

Normal pleasure flight in hot air balloon. Total distance traveled 4 mi. Since there is no airspeed on board the balloon, you depend on ground reference to gauge speed. The balloon began to pick up speed -- I made the decision to land and a large field was selected. As part of my landing briefing I always tell my passenger to 'face forward, bend knees and hold onto uprights.' I also always request my passengers to help, keep their eyes open for obstacles such as power lines or fences. Both passengers were experienced riders in this balloon and knew what to do. At XA40 am I began my final descent into the field, the sun was behind us with the shadow of the balloon just barely in front of us. The field was checked for obstacles and none were observed. As I came to within 50 ft of the ground I flattened my descent off, cleared the tree line, verified again all clear. At this point I allowed the balloon to begin to cool for final descent. With final descent initiated, a go around was not possible. As the shadow of the balloon covered the power line ahead, it suddenly became visible at eye level. Upon seeing the power line, I immediately shut off the pilot light and pulled the vent line as hard as possible. The balloon began to descend more rapidly and contacted the power at the top of the suspension lines. The forward motion stopped and the fabric draped over the power lines. The carriage settled down to the ground. When the lines were determined to be dead, we jumped clear of the basket and awaited the police and power company to aid us. I spoke with the people from the power company at the scene. They explained that the line was new and still very shiny -- with the sun at by back the line was invisible to me and with the poles to the line not being in the same field, there was little if anything I could have done to get any idea that the line was there. As for how to prevent this, there is a power line detector being developed and I am on the waiting list to buy one. Hopefully this will aid in the detection of power lines that are invisible to my eyes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON PLT HIT PWR LINES ON APCH TO A FARMER FIELD. THE BALLOON ENDED UP DRAPED OVER THE PWR LINES WITH NO RTPED DAMAGE OR INJURY.

Narrative: NORMAL PLEASURE FLT IN HOT AIR BALLOON. TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELED 4 MI. SINCE THERE IS NO AIRSPD ON BOARD THE BALLOON, YOU DEPEND ON GND REF TO GAUGE SPD. THE BALLOON BEGAN TO PICK UP SPD -- I MADE THE DECISION TO LAND AND A LARGE FIELD WAS SELECTED. AS PART OF MY LNDG BRIEFING I ALWAYS TELL MY PAX TO 'FACE FORWARD, BEND KNEES AND HOLD ONTO UPRIGHTS.' I ALSO ALWAYS REQUEST MY PAXS TO HELP, KEEP THEIR EYES OPEN FOR OBSTACLES SUCH AS PWR LINES OR FENCES. BOTH PAXS WERE EXPERIENCED RIDERS IN THIS BALLOON AND KNEW WHAT TO DO. AT XA40 AM I BEGAN MY FINAL DSCNT INTO THE FIELD, THE SUN WAS BEHIND US WITH THE SHADOW OF THE BALLOON JUST BARELY IN FRONT OF US. THE FIELD WAS CHKED FOR OBSTACLES AND NONE WERE OBSERVED. AS I CAME TO WITHIN 50 FT OF THE GND I FLATTENED MY DSCNT OFF, CLRED THE TREE LINE, VERIFIED AGAIN ALL CLR. AT THIS POINT I ALLOWED THE BALLOON TO BEGIN TO COOL FOR FINAL DSCNT. WITH FINAL DSCNT INITIATED, A GAR WAS NOT POSSIBLE. AS THE SHADOW OF THE BALLOON COVERED THE PWR LINE AHEAD, IT SUDDENLY BECAME VISIBLE AT EYE LEVEL. UPON SEEING THE PWR LINE, I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE PLT LIGHT AND PULLED THE VENT LINE AS HARD AS POSSIBLE. THE BALLOON BEGAN TO DSND MORE RAPIDLY AND CONTACTED THE PWR AT THE TOP OF THE SUSPENSION LINES. THE FORWARD MOTION STOPPED AND THE FABRIC DRAPED OVER THE PWR LINES. THE CARRIAGE SETTLED DOWN TO THE GND. WHEN THE LINES WERE DETERMINED TO BE DEAD, WE JUMPED CLR OF THE BASKET AND AWAITED THE POLICE AND PWR COMPANY TO AID US. I SPOKE WITH THE PEOPLE FROM THE PWR COMPANY AT THE SCENE. THEY EXPLAINED THAT THE LINE WAS NEW AND STILL VERY SHINY -- WITH THE SUN AT BY BACK THE LINE WAS INVISIBLE TO ME AND WITH THE POLES TO THE LINE NOT BEING IN THE SAME FIELD, THERE WAS LITTLE IF ANYTHING I COULD HAVE DONE TO GET ANY IDEA THAT THE LINE WAS THERE. AS FOR HOW TO PREVENT THIS, THERE IS A PWR LINE DETECTOR BEING DEVELOPED AND I AM ON THE WAITING LIST TO BUY ONE. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL AID IN THE DETECTION OF PWR LINES THAT ARE INVISIBLE TO MY EYES.

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.