A hot air balloon pilot few into power lines with minor aircraft damage. No injuries and no damage t...

Attributes
ACN	207697
Time
Date	199204
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 40
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
ASRS Report	207697
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Got several FSS reports throughout the afternoon as well as monitoring of NOAA WX radio. Conditions from FSS last time were reported calm to 6 mph on surface. 2 pibal balloons were launched 10 mins apart when I met with crew at approximately XA30 pm. Both pibals went east to about 500 ft. I selected launch site west of town in an undeveloped subdivision. Put up another pibal at approximately xypm. Again. Pibal went east. Inflated hot air balloon with quick release tied off to vehicle. Balloon was inflated approximately 100 yards south of an east/west row of pwrlines. After inflation, loaded 2 passenger and briefed crew and released quick release. As balloon lifted, it started heading east, then started drifting north from a 90 degree wind shift from the south. Balloon headed towards pwrlines and I immediately ripped out top of balloon and landed. Balloon envelope made contact with lines as it was deflating causing 2 lines to contact and create an arc. Minimal damage was caused to 2 panels of the envelope. No injuries occurred. No damage to pwrlines. No property damage.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT FEW INTO PWR LINES WITH MINOR ACFT DAMAGE. NO INJURIES AND NO DAMAGE TO OTHER PROPERTY. HE HAD CHKED THE WX BEFORE FLT AND HAD SENT UP PLT BALLOONS TO DETERMINE THE WIND DIRECTION.

Narrative: GOT SEVERAL FSS RPTS THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON AS WELL AS MONITORING OF NOAA WX RADIO. CONDITIONS FROM FSS LAST TIME WERE RPTED CALM TO 6 MPH ON SURFACE. 2 PIBAL BALLOONS WERE LAUNCHED 10 MINS APART WHEN I MET WITH CREW AT APPROX XA30 PM. BOTH PIBALS WENT E TO ABOUT 500 FT. I SELECTED LAUNCH SITE W OF TOWN IN AN UNDEVELOPED SUBDIVISION. PUT UP ANOTHER PIBAL AT APPROX XYPM. AGAIN. PIBAL WENT E. INFLATED HOT AIR BALLOON WITH QUICK RELEASE TIED OFF TO VEHICLE. BALLOON WAS INFLATED APPROX 100 YARDS S OF AN E/W ROW OF PWRLINES. AFTER INFLATION, LOADED 2 PAX AND BRIEFED CREW AND RELEASED QUICK RELEASE. AS BALLOON LIFTED, IT STARTED HDG E, THEN STARTED DRIFTING N FROM A 90 DEG WIND SHIFT FROM THE S. BALLOON HEADED TOWARDS PWRLINES AND I IMMEDIATELY RIPPED OUT TOP OF BALLOON AND LANDED. BALLOON ENVELOPE MADE CONTACT WITH LINES AS IT WAS DEFLATING CAUSING 2 LINES TO CONTACT AND CREATE AN ARC. MINIMAL DAMAGE WAS CAUSED TO 2 PANELS OF THE ENVELOPE. NO INJURIES OCCURRED. NO DAMAGE TO PWRLINES. NO PROPERTY DAMAGE.

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.

A hot air balloon pilot few into power lines with minor aircraft damage. No injuries and no damage to other property. He had checked the WX before flight and had sent up pilot balloons to determine the wind direction.