Hot air balloon blown away by gust of wind during balloon deflation.

Attributes
ACN	215977
Time
Date	199207
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ftw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 60
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 28 flight time total : 9896 flight time type : 186
ASRS Report	215977
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During normal deflation of my balloon, we were struck by a severe wind gust. At the time the gust hit, the balloon was between 1/2 to 2/3 deflated. The envelope and basket were both on the ground with the deflation harness attached to the balloon and my chase truck. At this time I was out of the basket pulling on the 'red line' to ensure that the top was out and away. It was then that we were hit by the wind gust. The gust was so strong that it started moving the balloon, dragging the basket and truck. There was 1 crew member on the crown line and 2 others on the basket. I was still holding onto and being pulled by the 'red line.' a few moments later, the inflation harness failed and the balloon picked up speed. I knew that we would not be able to hold the balloon down. I instructed my crew to let go and get clear of the balloon. I let go of the 'red line' as soon as I saw the crew clear. The balloon and basket lifted into the air to about 50-60 ft, then dropped down and hit power lines, then flipped over the lines and came to rest in a driveway between 2 houses.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOT AIR BALLOON BLOWN AWAY BY GUST OF WIND DURING BALLOON DEFLATION.

Narrative: DURING NORMAL DEFLATION OF MY BALLOON, WE WERE STRUCK BY A SEVERE WIND GUST. AT THE TIME THE GUST HIT, THE BALLOON WAS BTWN 1/2 TO 2/3 DEFLATED. THE ENVELOPE AND BASKET WERE BOTH ON THE GND WITH THE DEFLATION HARNESS ATTACHED TO THE BALLOON AND MY CHASE TRUCK. AT THIS TIME I WAS OUT OF THE BASKET PULLING ON THE 'RED LINE' TO ENSURE THAT THE TOP WAS OUT AND AWAY. IT WAS THEN THAT WE WERE HIT BY THE WIND GUST. THE GUST WAS SO STRONG THAT IT STARTED MOVING THE BALLOON, DRAGGING THE BASKET AND TRUCK. THERE WAS 1 CREW MEMBER ON THE CROWN LINE AND 2 OTHERS ON THE BASKET. I WAS STILL HOLDING ONTO AND BEING PULLED BY THE 'RED LINE.' A FEW MOMENTS LATER, THE INFLATION HARNESS FAILED AND THE BALLOON PICKED UP SPD. I KNEW THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HOLD THE BALLOON DOWN. I INSTRUCTED MY CREW TO LET GO AND GET CLR OF THE BALLOON. I LET GO OF THE 'RED LINE' AS SOON AS I SAW THE CREW CLR. THE BALLOON AND BASKET LIFTED INTO THE AIR TO ABOUT 50-60 FT, THEN DROPPED DOWN AND HIT PWR LINES, THEN FLIPPED OVER THE LINES AND CAME TO REST IN A DRIVEWAY BTWN 2 HOUSES.

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.