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|
Attributes | |
ACN | 254118 |
Time | |
Date | 199310 |
Day | Wed |
Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | atc facility : ord airport : 7ll0 |
State Reference | IL |
Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 300 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Operator | general aviation : personal |
Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
Flight Phase | cruise other descent : approach landing other |
Flight Plan | None |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | Other |
Function | flight crew : single pilot |
Qualification | pilot : commercial |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 26 flight time total : 142 |
ASRS Report | 254118 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | Other |
Function | observation : passenger |
Events | |
Anomaly | conflict : ground critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other spatial deviation |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted |
Consequence | other |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
The balloon was traveling east when we encountered strong lake-effect winds coming off lake michigan. We were turned north and then northwest and quickly encountered severe updrafts and downdrafts. I made the decision to land as quickly as possible. I was approaching a field flying level at approximately 100 ft AGL when I got caught in a rotor that turned me away from the field. I began ascending at 500 FPM to cross a road and look for another landing site. At approximately 30 ft AGL, I was pushed to the ground by a severe downdraft. I contacted power lines with 1 corner of the balloon basket. The contact severed 1 set of support cables on the balloon. After the contact, I safely flew the balloon to the next available field and landed. There were no injuries to any passenger, nor was damage done to the power lines. The balloon suffered damage to 1 set of cables connecting the envelope to the basket, but was not damaged enough that prevented it from flying on to a safe landing. Lake effect winds on the west side of lake michigan can kick in with no warning. They can cause severe turbulence as they travel away from the lake. Getting caught in these winds, I have learned that a better decision would have been to gain lots of altitude and ride it out until the winds calm down before trying to land, or to land before getting caught in the turbulence if you see it coming.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A HOT AIR BALLOON PLT HIT PWR LINES.
Narrative: THE BALLOON WAS TRAVELING E WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED STRONG LAKE-EFFECT WINDS COMING OFF LAKE MICHIGAN. WE WERE TURNED N AND THEN NW AND QUICKLY ENCOUNTERED SEVERE UPDRAFTS AND DOWNDRAFTS. I MADE THE DECISION TO LAND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. I WAS APCHING A FIELD FLYING LEVEL AT APPROX 100 FT AGL WHEN I GOT CAUGHT IN A ROTOR THAT TURNED ME AWAY FROM THE FIELD. I BEGAN ASCENDING AT 500 FPM TO CROSS A ROAD AND LOOK FOR ANOTHER LNDG SITE. AT APPROX 30 FT AGL, I WAS PUSHED TO THE GND BY A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT. I CONTACTED PWR LINES WITH 1 CORNER OF THE BALLOON BASKET. THE CONTACT SEVERED 1 SET OF SUPPORT CABLES ON THE BALLOON. AFTER THE CONTACT, I SAFELY FLEW THE BALLOON TO THE NEXT AVAILABLE FIELD AND LANDED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ANY PAX, NOR WAS DAMAGE DONE TO THE PWR LINES. THE BALLOON SUFFERED DAMAGE TO 1 SET OF CABLES CONNECTING THE ENVELOPE TO THE BASKET, BUT WAS NOT DAMAGED ENOUGH THAT PREVENTED IT FROM FLYING ON TO A SAFE LNDG. LAKE EFFECT WINDS ON THE W SIDE OF LAKE MICHIGAN CAN KICK IN WITH NO WARNING. THEY CAN CAUSE SEVERE TURB AS THEY TRAVEL AWAY FROM THE LAKE. GETTING CAUGHT IN THESE WINDS, I HAVE LEARNED THAT A BETTER DECISION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO GAIN LOTS OF ALT AND RIDE IT OUT UNTIL THE WINDS CALM DOWN BEFORE TRYING TO LAND, OR TO LAND BEFORE GETTING CAUGHT IN THE TURB IF YOU SEE IT COMING.
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.