A hot air balloon lifted off into the path of another balloon overhead. There was minor damage.

Attributes
ACN	241648
Time
Date	199305
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 3815 flight time type : 15
ASRS Report	241648
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 unspecified : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was pilot in a hot air balloon. I launched upwind of a second balloon. Just after I launched, the second balloon launched as well. I had obtained wind speed as the second balloon's envelope lifted into my flight path. A minor tear (6 inches) in the second balloon was caused by my basket. The damage was not visible to me at the time. As a precaution, the second balloon aborted his flight. I continued on for a normal uneventful flight, a normal landing and recovery. Contributing factors: marginal winds 5-6 KTS. The club (balloon club) was holding a task event that was moved due to unfavorable wind direction. Prior to that decision, I had laid out my envelope and repacked it, so I was in a bit of a rush. When I arrived at the alternate launch site, I was behind the other crews (mind set). The only apparent launch site was next to a building, but there was adequate room. As we (crew) began to inflate, the winds were beginning to be more apparent. The inflation was normal. I called for the crew to put weight on the basket and requested 2 passenger to enter the basket. In my haste to inflate, I did not install my safety inflation harness. This became apparent when one of the inexperienced crew let go of the basket to get her camera. The basket began moving. At that time, the downwind balloon had not lifted off. Seconds later his crew let him go and my basket contacted his envelope in the upper section. From my vantage point it looked like a minor incident, I saw no damage. I was later told of a tear of 6 inches and a second small hole that 'may have been there before.' at the time I decided to launch, the downwind balloon was on the ground, I judged I would have room to safely launch. The wind shifted as I left the side of the building directing my balloon into the second balloon. False lift may have contributed to my flight path being more shallow than projected. Not observing the right-of-way for launching was a major contributor, no safety harness was another contributor, inexperienced crew and most importantly pilot attitude.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON LIFTED OFF INTO THE PATH OF ANOTHER BALLOON OVERHEAD. THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE.

Narrative: I WAS PLT IN A HOT AIR BALLOON. I LAUNCHED UPWIND OF A SECOND BALLOON. JUST AFTER I LAUNCHED, THE SECOND BALLOON LAUNCHED AS WELL. I HAD OBTAINED WIND SPD AS THE SECOND BALLOON'S ENVELOPE LIFTED INTO MY FLT PATH. A MINOR TEAR (6 INCHES) IN THE SECOND BALLOON WAS CAUSED BY MY BASKET. THE DAMAGE WAS NOT VISIBLE TO ME AT THE TIME. AS A PRECAUTION, THE SECOND BALLOON ABORTED HIS FLT. I CONTINUED ON FOR A NORMAL UNEVENTFUL FLT, A NORMAL LNDG AND RECOVERY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: MARGINAL WINDS 5-6 KTS. THE CLUB (BALLOON CLUB) WAS HOLDING A TASK EVENT THAT WAS MOVED DUE TO UNFAVORABLE WIND DIRECTION. PRIOR TO THAT DECISION, I HAD LAID OUT MY ENVELOPE AND REPACKED IT, SO I WAS IN A BIT OF A RUSH. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE ALTERNATE LAUNCH SITE, I WAS BEHIND THE OTHER CREWS (MIND SET). THE ONLY APPARENT LAUNCH SITE WAS NEXT TO A BUILDING, BUT THERE WAS ADEQUATE ROOM. AS WE (CREW) BEGAN TO INFLATE, THE WINDS WERE BEGINNING TO BE MORE APPARENT. THE INFLATION WAS NORMAL. I CALLED FOR THE CREW TO PUT WT ON THE BASKET AND REQUESTED 2 PAX TO ENTER THE BASKET. IN MY HASTE TO INFLATE, I DID NOT INSTALL MY SAFETY INFLATION HARNESS. THIS BECAME APPARENT WHEN ONE OF THE INEXPERIENCED CREW LET GO OF THE BASKET TO GET HER CAMERA. THE BASKET BEGAN MOVING. AT THAT TIME, THE DOWNWIND BALLOON HAD NOT LIFTED OFF. SECONDS LATER HIS CREW LET HIM GO AND MY BASKET CONTACTED HIS ENVELOPE IN THE UPPER SECTION. FROM MY VANTAGE POINT IT LOOKED LIKE A MINOR INCIDENT, I SAW NO DAMAGE. I WAS LATER TOLD OF A TEAR OF 6 INCHES AND A SECOND SMALL HOLE THAT 'MAY HAVE BEEN THERE BEFORE.' AT THE TIME I DECIDED TO LAUNCH, THE DOWNWIND BALLOON WAS ON THE GND, I JUDGED I WOULD HAVE ROOM TO SAFELY LAUNCH. THE WIND SHIFTED AS I LEFT THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING DIRECTING MY BALLOON INTO THE SECOND BALLOON. FALSE LIFT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MY FLT PATH BEING MORE SHALLOW THAN PROJECTED. NOT OBSERVING THE RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR LAUNCHING WAS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR, NO SAFETY HARNESS WAS ANOTHER CONTRIBUTOR, INEXPERIENCED CREW AND MOST IMPORTANTLY PLT ATTITUDE.

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.