Narrative:

Our hot air balloon was on a descending GS into a dirt field for a landing and passenger change out. I crossed the bordering power lines with plenty of clearance headed toward the center of the field. Just after crossing the lines, our forward momentum stopped and we began to descend straight down. This seemed okay because we were clear of the lines and I wanted to stay near the edge of the field. After initial contact with the ground, we made a shallow bounce. As I waited for the chase crew to reach us and I tried to bring the balloon to a full stop, the balloon began to back up toward the power lines. Since the crew was not going to reach me in time, I began to heat up to fly clear. I got about 10 ft off the ground when contact was made with the power lines. At that point I ripped out and deflated. The envelope draped over the lines which tripped a circuit breaker and killed the power. We were able to pull the envelope off the lines and pack up. The only damage to the balloon was a 4 inch hole in the envelope where the wires had shorted out. There was no other damage and no one was hurt. In retrospect, this has taught me to land further away from power lines in anticipation of unknown wind shifts on the ground. I have also learned to rip out earlier before contact is made.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON HAD A WIND CHANGE NEAR THE GND AND DRIFTED INTO THE PWR LINES. THERE WAS MINIMAL DAMAGE AND NO INJURY.

Narrative: OUR HOT AIR BALLOON WAS ON A DSNDING GS INTO A DIRT FIELD FOR A LNDG AND PAX CHANGE OUT. I CROSSED THE BORDERING PWR LINES WITH PLENTY OF CLRNC HEADED TOWARD THE CTR OF THE FIELD. JUST AFTER XING THE LINES, OUR FORWARD MOMENTUM STOPPED AND WE BEGAN TO DSND STRAIGHT DOWN. THIS SEEMED OKAY BECAUSE WE WERE CLR OF THE LINES AND I WANTED TO STAY NEAR THE EDGE OF THE FIELD. AFTER INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE GND, WE MADE A SHALLOW BOUNCE. AS I WAITED FOR THE CHASE CREW TO REACH US AND I TRIED TO BRING THE BALLOON TO A FULL STOP, THE BALLOON BEGAN TO BACK UP TOWARD THE PWR LINES. SINCE THE CREW WAS NOT GOING TO REACH ME IN TIME, I BEGAN TO HEAT UP TO FLY CLR. I GOT ABOUT 10 FT OFF THE GND WHEN CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE PWR LINES. AT THAT POINT I RIPPED OUT AND DEFLATED. THE ENVELOPE DRAPED OVER THE LINES WHICH TRIPPED A CIRCUIT BREAKER AND KILLED THE PWR. WE WERE ABLE TO PULL THE ENVELOPE OFF THE LINES AND PACK UP. THE ONLY DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON WAS A 4 INCH HOLE IN THE ENVELOPE WHERE THE WIRES HAD SHORTED OUT. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE AND NO ONE WAS HURT. IN RETROSPECT, THIS HAS TAUGHT ME TO LAND FURTHER AWAY FROM PWR LINES IN ANTICIPATION OF UNKNOWN WIND SHIFTS ON THE GND. I HAVE ALSO LEARNED TO RIP OUT EARLIER BEFORE CONTACT IS MADE.

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.