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A hot air balloon pilot had a propane fire on the ground. The balloon flew away unmanned after the 3 passenger and pilot left the aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 223208 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199210 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mev |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 695 |
| ASRS Report | 223208 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
The problem involved 2 pilots and 2 balloons. Prior to inflation, the 2 balloons were preflted by the pilots (one balloon by each pilot). It was then decided to switch who would fly which balloon. I inflated the balloon preflted by the other pilot. I did not go through my own checklist prior to inflating the balloon. I on-loaded my 3 passengers and, before takeoff, observed a fire at the hose connection to the burner. I shut off the fuel to the burner, but before I could extinguish the flame my passengers exited the basket. The balloon now being lighter by 3 people started to lift off. My crew could not hold me and the balloon on the ground. At this point, I also exited the basket. The balloon then rose to approximately 500 ft AGL without a pilot on board. The fire went out due to the fuel being shut off and the balloon landed in a farmer's field after a 20 min flight with me in hot pursuit. I climbed on board and tightened the hose connection to the burner. This balloon had a double burner system and the second burner's hose connection was properly tightened at preflight by the other pilot. I flew the balloon to a better site for retrieval. Damage to the balloon burner system was minimal. Lesson learned: never assume someone has done your job for you. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The pilot stated that he had taken over the balloon after it had been 'cold inflated.' he assumed that the other pilot had done a proper 'sniff check' of the fuel system to check for fuel leaks. As there was a 'stream of fire' falling from the burner into the basket, the passenger rightfully exited the scene. As this made the balloon light, the pilot followed. He states that he could have blasted the fuel out of the line or used the fire extinguisher, things that he would have done in-flight. The aircraft damage was limited to the fuel hose.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT HAD A PROPANE FIRE ON THE GND. THE BALLOON FLEW AWAY UNMANNED AFTER THE 3 PAX AND PLT LEFT THE ACFT.
Narrative: THE PROBLEM INVOLVED 2 PLTS AND 2 BALLOONS. PRIOR TO INFLATION, THE 2 BALLOONS WERE PREFLTED BY THE PLTS (ONE BALLOON BY EACH PLT). IT WAS THEN DECIDED TO SWITCH WHO WOULD FLY WHICH BALLOON. I INFLATED THE BALLOON PREFLTED BY THE OTHER PLT. I DID NOT GO THROUGH MY OWN CHKLIST PRIOR TO INFLATING THE BALLOON. I ON-LOADED MY 3 PAXS AND, BEFORE TKOF, OBSERVED A FIRE AT THE HOSE CONNECTION TO THE BURNER. I SHUT OFF THE FUEL TO THE BURNER, BUT BEFORE I COULD EXTINGUISH THE FLAME MY PAXS EXITED THE BASKET. THE BALLOON NOW BEING LIGHTER BY 3 PEOPLE STARTED TO LIFT OFF. MY CREW COULD NOT HOLD ME AND THE BALLOON ON THE GND. AT THIS POINT, I ALSO EXITED THE BASKET. THE BALLOON THEN ROSE TO APPROX 500 FT AGL WITHOUT A PLT ON BOARD. THE FIRE WENT OUT DUE TO THE FUEL BEING SHUT OFF AND THE BALLOON LANDED IN A FARMER'S FIELD AFTER A 20 MIN FLT WITH ME IN HOT PURSUIT. I CLBED ON BOARD AND TIGHTENED THE HOSE CONNECTION TO THE BURNER. THIS BALLOON HAD A DOUBLE BURNER SYS AND THE SECOND BURNER'S HOSE CONNECTION WAS PROPERLY TIGHTENED AT PREFLT BY THE OTHER PLT. I FLEW THE BALLOON TO A BETTER SITE FOR RETRIEVAL. DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON BURNER SYS WAS MINIMAL. LESSON LEARNED: NEVER ASSUME SOMEONE HAS DONE YOUR JOB FOR YOU. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE PLT STATED THAT HE HAD TAKEN OVER THE BALLOON AFTER IT HAD BEEN 'COLD INFLATED.' HE ASSUMED THAT THE OTHER PLT HAD DONE A PROPER 'SNIFF CHK' OF THE FUEL SYS TO CHK FOR FUEL LEAKS. AS THERE WAS A 'STREAM OF FIRE' FALLING FROM THE BURNER INTO THE BASKET, THE PAX RIGHTFULLY EXITED THE SCENE. AS THIS MADE THE BALLOON LIGHT, THE PLT FOLLOWED. HE STATES THAT HE COULD HAVE BLASTED THE FUEL OUT OF THE LINE OR USED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER, THINGS THAT HE WOULD HAVE DONE INFLT. THE ACFT DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE FUEL HOSE.
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.